Introduction
When i first heard of this "Green School" idea in Bali, i was skeptical and i have reasons to back me up on this. But first lets look at the concept and the listen to what John Hardy has to say about his dream of building a green school at Ted Talks.
This is an introduction to Green School in Bali, founded by John and Cynthia Hardy. The school is a non-profit organization funded by the Sustainable Educational Trust. The eight-hectare campus features a rigorous curriculum with an environmental focus in an entrepreneurial context. International Baccalaureate (IB) program offered. The school will be accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS)
The Issue With School Fees & Local Effect
The school fees they are charging at his "Green School" is too much, none of the local balinese children can actually attend this school. How is it benefiting the local community?
I think for this concept to benefit the balinese, it must be replicable on a local scale because Bali belongs to the Balinese, no question. I would not be surprised if people come to this conclusion that there is alot of exploitation for personal profit, thinly disguised as social altruism.
One thing is clear in my mind, bali doesn't need any more rich expats who are going there to live a western lifestyle where it's cheap and easy. but if they want to go there, live in a bamboo house (and are prepared to maintain it over the years), shit in a compost toilet, grow your own food and survive on a local wage, take part in ceremony and uphold balinese tradition, then i have nothing for you but respect.
Education Is Key to Sustainability
Education is very important and the greater impact can be achieved with children who are taught sound practices. This man, John Hardy, after all the criticism he might get has made more of an impact, teaching over a hundred kids the importance of sustainable living, creating a community of green, nurturing people whose goal is to remove their carbon footprint as best they can.
I cannot stress how important education is without an example from my own observations. In most developing countries such as India or Bangladesh, cooking gas (LPG) is very cheap. Often maids or cooks are hired by people for do their daily chores. Sometimes one household will have 2 or even 3 maids for a relatively well-to-do family because labour is also very cheap. I have observed countless number of times these maids/cooks leave the stove running for hours even if they're not cooking. Such wasteful practice, but it is because they've never been to schools, or even if they have been to one, never really had proper civic/moral education. A proper education will give someone at least a moral obligation to try and not waste energy unnecessarily.
Back to the topic of Green school, they talk about "educating the whole child," Certainly, getting mud between toes and building a school that looks like summer camp will make many kids appreciate the experience more.
Is Green School just an idealistic one-off project?? I am convinced that ideas from Green School is transferable because of the major concepts behind it. LEED building principles award points for innovation and the core categories focus on the environmental results rather than the methods used to get there, but nonetheless as green building has gone mainstream. we’ve limited ourselves to a toolbox of best practices and variations on the same themes of renewable energy, water conservation, reuse and other elements.
The psychological and health effects of this school I image are great, between the organic foods, lack of toxics and access to fresh air and daylight. Lessons taught in the school – organic gardening, taking responsibility, are among the most valuable effects the Green School will have on the future. One question remains in my mind – how were the resources gathered to build this, and how do we secure resources to do this on a large scale?
Maybe it should be something like this? the new School of the Arts in Singapore
When i first heard of this "Green School" idea in Bali, i was skeptical and i have reasons to back me up on this. But first lets look at the concept and the listen to what John Hardy has to say about his dream of building a green school at Ted Talks.
This is an introduction to Green School in Bali, founded by John and Cynthia Hardy. The school is a non-profit organization funded by the Sustainable Educational Trust. The eight-hectare campus features a rigorous curriculum with an environmental focus in an entrepreneurial context. International Baccalaureate (IB) program offered. The school will be accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS)
The Issue With School Fees & Local Effect
The school fees they are charging at his "Green School" is too much, none of the local balinese children can actually attend this school. How is it benefiting the local community?
Here's what a teacher from South Korea has to say:
Actually, for an international school running a foreign curriculum, Green School is pretty cheap. The international school in South Korea where I work charges $30,000USD a year for tuition, and many people here can afford it; we're full to bursting. Our tuition is standard for the country, and I'd imagine that Green School's tuition is reflective of international school tuition fees in Indonesia. As for cost, offten the company for whom the parents work pay students' tuition as part of their benefits package.
A lot of people on this board who are criticizing the school for not taking local Balinese children don't understand what an international school is. International schools are generally intended for children of ex-pats who are already in the country anyway, not for local children. Perhaps it works differently in Bali, but in South Korea the Korean government doesn't allow international schools to accept locals. Nor can our students matriculate to Korean universities; they have to go overseas.
Honestly, the fact that he's aiming for even that many Balinese students is pretty impressive from an international school perspective. However, I will add that Green School does not have a good reputation among international educators or among the international school circuit in Indonesia.
A lot of people on this board who are criticizing the school for not taking local Balinese children don't understand what an international school is. International schools are generally intended for children of ex-pats who are already in the country anyway, not for local children. Perhaps it works differently in Bali, but in South Korea the Korean government doesn't allow international schools to accept locals. Nor can our students matriculate to Korean universities; they have to go overseas.
Honestly, the fact that he's aiming for even that many Balinese students is pretty impressive from an international school perspective. However, I will add that Green School does not have a good reputation among international educators or among the international school circuit in Indonesia.
I think for this concept to benefit the balinese, it must be replicable on a local scale because Bali belongs to the Balinese, no question. I would not be surprised if people come to this conclusion that there is alot of exploitation for personal profit, thinly disguised as social altruism.
One thing is clear in my mind, bali doesn't need any more rich expats who are going there to live a western lifestyle where it's cheap and easy. but if they want to go there, live in a bamboo house (and are prepared to maintain it over the years), shit in a compost toilet, grow your own food and survive on a local wage, take part in ceremony and uphold balinese tradition, then i have nothing for you but respect.
Education Is Key to Sustainability
Education is very important and the greater impact can be achieved with children who are taught sound practices. This man, John Hardy, after all the criticism he might get has made more of an impact, teaching over a hundred kids the importance of sustainable living, creating a community of green, nurturing people whose goal is to remove their carbon footprint as best they can.
I cannot stress how important education is without an example from my own observations. In most developing countries such as India or Bangladesh, cooking gas (LPG) is very cheap. Often maids or cooks are hired by people for do their daily chores. Sometimes one household will have 2 or even 3 maids for a relatively well-to-do family because labour is also very cheap. I have observed countless number of times these maids/cooks leave the stove running for hours even if they're not cooking. Such wasteful practice, but it is because they've never been to schools, or even if they have been to one, never really had proper civic/moral education. A proper education will give someone at least a moral obligation to try and not waste energy unnecessarily.
Back to the topic of Green school, they talk about "educating the whole child," Certainly, getting mud between toes and building a school that looks like summer camp will make many kids appreciate the experience more.
Is Green School just an idealistic one-off project?? I am convinced that ideas from Green School is transferable because of the major concepts behind it. LEED building principles award points for innovation and the core categories focus on the environmental results rather than the methods used to get there, but nonetheless as green building has gone mainstream. we’ve limited ourselves to a toolbox of best practices and variations on the same themes of renewable energy, water conservation, reuse and other elements.
The psychological and health effects of this school I image are great, between the organic foods, lack of toxics and access to fresh air and daylight. Lessons taught in the school – organic gardening, taking responsibility, are among the most valuable effects the Green School will have on the future. One question remains in my mind – how were the resources gathered to build this, and how do we secure resources to do this on a large scale?
Maybe it should be something like this? the new School of the Arts in Singapore
cool concept
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