Chasing Ideal Education: Green School Bali by Sharon Roberts

What does dyslexia and the environment have in common? More than you can imagine! The Green School, created by Canadian John Hardy, a self-proclaimed dyslexic, first made its entrance in Bali. The school was launched in 2008 and now there are schools in New Zealand, South Africa and soon to be in Tulum. The word ‘green’ is synonymous with the environment so it goes without saying that it focuses on conservation, the environment and the preservation of all matters green. Its focus is education in sustainability through community-integrated, entrepreneurial learning, in wall-less and nature-immersed environment… no bricks and mortar!

For example, their white boards are made from recycled old auto windshields that have white paper attached to the back… no pvc on sight.  Other green items include tapioca fences (cuttings planted close together to create living fences), composting toilets and pavements which are petro chemical free. This is all designed to empower students to become architects of change.

The Bali campus sits on 23 acres of lush, tropical landscape and includes gardens for every grade, a natural pool and a wall-less yoga studio next to a river. The school is currently the largest bamboo structure in the world. Even the lockers and shoe cubbies are made of bamboo.

The school emphasizes hands-on-learning and students participate in activities such as making soap from coconuts and calculating carbon footprints. They regularly take time to practice mindfulness and meditation. On top of all of this, are the shared activities when teachers and parents are working alongside local Balinese people.

True to philosophical form, the growing and harvesting of bamboo is a community event.  One woman processes more than 400 seedlings a day, which can then be split again in a few months which will reap hundreds and thousands of tiny future shoots of bamboo. These seedlings are taken to surrounding villages and given to farmers to plant, which allows the plant to suck up more CO2 and deliver more oxygen. In 5 years when the bamboo is fully grown the school goes back and buys the bamboo from the farms.

The intention of the school is to create a love of learning, conducive for students to explore their passions and realize they can affect change. This means the child has to be free from fear before anything else can be achieved - free from failure, the fear of the learning process. This is supported by the idea that mistakes provide an opportunity to learn.

The Middle School Bridge Projects demonstrate this philosophy. Students were asked to build a bridge over the river that runs through the school and connects 2 campuses. Many disciplines were used including math, physics, building techniques plus teamwork and collaboration. A few years ago, there was a massive flood and the bridge collapsed. Students went back to the classroom to figure out what happened and uncover their mistakes and most of that learning came from consulting builders. Students designed bridges, calculated the costs, dragged heavy cables, measured, cut and attached bamboo and conducted load tests.

Their approach is holistic and defies the traditional classroom setting of scheduled time for different subjects. It uses real life opportunities with a green twist to indirectly teach children traditional core subjects. It’s likened to days when you would hide your child’s vegetables in the soup. The child gets the benefits of eating the vegetable without the task of eating them directly.

A typical day is divided into three parts that include a focus on research, inquiry, and communication skills in a group learning environment. Proficiency in core facts are honed in a more structured classroom, then students are involved in activities related to a certain project. This is where the vegetables get hidden in the soup as students spend about 60 per cent of their day outside of the classroom in ‘hands on learning’ where a high level of engagement occurs. When they return to the classroom, the more structured English, Math or Science classes are connected to something tangible, bringing the education to life.

What happens once they graduate? Many have managed to go to Ivy league Universities. The feedback from these schools is that the students have a high level of critical and independent thinking, problem solving, combined with an ability to reason.

Outside of using the Davis Method, this could be deemed as a “dyslexic friendly school” because of the small class sizes, project-based learning, and personalized attention. Mistakes are seen as learning opportunities which coincides with Davis beliefs.

Unlike traditional brick and mortar schools, the Green School appears to be toxin free; an added bonus for children who struggle with environmental sensitivities which affect learning. There is a sense of belonging and connection to the outside world.  It defies traditional methods by providing a new model of education, nurturing the whole child  with creativity and curiosity taking the main stage. No wonder it is described as being joyous!  It is a school without walls that ignites the senses and the natural curiosity of children. It is a place where people come together from all corners of the globe to share new experiences.