Teaching green

Patrick Guntensperger, Contributor, Jakarta , 

It is heartening to see that some inspiring changes are taking place in the general concept of Indonesian education.   |  Sun, 01/27/2008 4:00 AM  |  Supplement

That means that individuals, with the financial support of corporations, have to do what our elected representatives are supposed to do. Fortunately, there are individuals with vision, fresh ideas, and a passion for education, and equally fortunately, some corporations have an eye to the future that is absent in a cash-strapped government.

One of these visions is provided to us courtesy of long-time Indonesian resident Hugh Collett, a veteran high school teacher at Jakarta International School.

Collett, entirely on his own and without financial backing from the government or anyone else has developed the concept of an "eco-village" as an educational facility for Indonesian students. His vision includes the construction of a village using entirely sustainable methods and materials, and fueled by the most up-to-date sustainable power sources. The village will have a permanent population of residents who will maintain and constantly improve it as well as produce consumer products. Naturally, those products will be eco-friendly, using renewable local materials and providing part of the cash requirements for the village's long-term sustainability.

The fundamental construction material will be bamboo; fast growing, locally available, possessing remarkable structural properties that can be experimented with and further developed. The villagers will produce traditional artifacts using traditional methods with modern sustainable technology to augment its efficiency.

The village will be a research center and an education facility as well as a home to the villagers. It will be available for longer term stays for university and graduate students -- those doing research into renewable resource use, sustainable development, and low impact living. It will also be available for shorter visits by students at high schools and even elementary schools to expose the students to alternative and creative ways of living.

This vision is far from a pipe dream. It has been thoroughly researched from a theoretical scientific perspective, from an accounting perspective, and from the point of view of practical viability. The building designs and specifications are drawn up, the business plan, including cash flow projections, has been approved by business consultants and accountants, the materials for construction have been sourced, sustainability consultants have signed on to donate their services, and a donor for suitable land on Java has been found. Schools and universities have committed resources once ground is broken, and there is already some real interest from potential corporate sponsors.

All that is needed at this point is a small infusion of working capital. The legal aspects of registration as a not-for-profit legal entity, a transparent auditing system, a credible and committed board of directors all need to be put into place. Up until now, Mr. Collett has borne the entire cost of this extraordinary project alone, on nothing but the salary of a school teacher and boundless supplies of energy and personal commitment. It is only a matter of financing the legal structure of the enterprise that remains before the corporations will commit to some degree of sponsorship of the village's first few years. After that, the financial projections are for self-sustainability.

The "eco-village" is a perfect example of thinking outside the box, something that should be on the curriculum of every school. It is forward thinking; it addresses sustainability, an area of education that has been sadly neglected and will be dead center of everyone's radar screen within a few short years. It dares to imagine new ways of approaching old problems without abandoning successful past models. It offers something that has never been seen in Indonesia or elsewhere and it offers Indonesia something to be proud of.

Collett has produced the Holy Grail of solutions: a genuine win-win proposal.

With limited resources, educators have tended to stick to traditional pedagogical techniques; that simply won't do any longer, if Indonesia is to remain competitive in the world. Education, like everything else, is progressing and evolving, the old models are insufficient to meet the world of tomorrow. Education in the future is going to be very different from what we have become accustomed to; perhaps this is our first glimpse of the face of the future of education.

The writer is a consultant, a political and social commentator, and lectures at several universities. He writes frequently on environmental and educational issues.

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