Criticism based on cognitive theory[edit]
The human brain is not fully developed until adulthood.[48] A disadvantage of teenagers being responsible for their own education is that "young brains have both fast-growing synapses and sections that remain unconnected. This leaves teens easily influenced by their environment and more prone to impulsive behavior".[49]
Ethics[edit]
Democracy can be valued on ethical grounds.[50]
Cultural theory[edit]
Democratic education is consistent with the cultural theory that "learning in school must be continuous with life outside of school" and that children should become active participants in the control and organization of their community.[51]
Research on hunter-gatherer societies indicates that free play and exploration were effective transmitters of the societies' culture to children.[52]
According to George Dennison, democratic environments are social regulators: Our desire to cultivate friendships, engender respect, and maintain what George Dennison terms ‘natural authority’ encourages us to act in socially acceptable ways (i.e. culturally informed practices of fairness, honesty, congeniality, etc.).[53]