What do you call a school with no tests, no grades, no classes, and no teachers? Students of the Met School and their parents think it to be the best school in the world.
The school is in Rhode Island, the USA. Dennis Littky opened it in 1996. He wasfiredfrom two other schools, because many parents of the school students were unhappy with his unusual ideas. The Met School gives Littky a great place to try out his new ideas. The school takes poor kids who are failing at school. Nearly everybody has already given up these students and their parents want to try anything.
"The word that most kids use when they talk about high school is 'boring', " says Littky, "But no one would say the Met was boring. " Advisors (not teachers) work with small groups of students for four years. Students spend almost half of their school time learning real-life skills, such as working for business, spending time with government people, and helping teach younger children. Instead of tests, the students give shows about their work outside school.
In fact, students work harder here than in other schools. All the students from the Met graduate and can choose to go to a good university. Now, Bill Gates is starting schools like this one around the USA.
