Educator Spotlight
Shei Ascencio
Peter Hutton
Educator Spotlight: Peter Hutton & Shei Ascencio
Gabriel moderates a candid conversation exploring the radical re-imagining of school, youth agency, and the coming disruption of AI.
The Speakers
Peter Hutton (Australia)
Leader of Global Village Learning. Former strict deputy principal turned radical innovator. He runs two campuses, including one in the historic Old Castlemaine Jail.
Shei Ascencio (Canada)
Solutionary & Youth Action educator. Collaborates with the Institute for Humane Education (IHE) to support student agency and youth changemakers.
Journeys to Innovation
From Discipline to Radical Change
Peter decided he had “10 years left” to transform a school. He no longer believes the current system can reform itself from within and expects AI will force change within 5 years. His focus is now on rejecting conventional assessment and centering student agency.
From Classroom to “Solutionary”
Shei grew dissatisfied with systems that didn’t truly support empowerment. She now helps run the Solutionary Microcredential, training educators to identify unjust systems and design solutions that do the Most Good and Least Harm (MOGO).
Global Village Learning: Not a “School”
They conceptually see themselves as a learning community, not an institution reproducing the old model.
Key Features
- No Conventional Timetable: Individual schedules based on “what you would like to learn, do or make”.
- The “Jail Campus”: Converting a historic prison into a “community precinct” with arts groups and radio stations—creating hundreds of real-world interaction points.
- Analogue Afternoons: Tech-free times to reclaim presence and combat attention-grabbing algorithms.
AI, Humanity & The Future
Peter’s “Dark but Honest” View: Humans may not remain “masters” of AI. He proposes ideas like Universal Basic Learning/Giving—income tied to acts of learning or community contribution—to maintain meaning when machines do cognitive work better.
Purpose & Community
Shei: This work must be done in community. She invites ongoing collaboration between like-minded educators.
Peter: Despite systemic problems, the joy of working with young people and co-creating a better future remains the deepest motivation.
Why they don’t “sell” it: The contrast between factory-like schools and joyful learning communities is so stark that the alternative “sells itself” to families ready to see it.
Main Entities and References
Below are the main organizations and initiatives referenced in this segment.