Schools focusing on environment and culture

Thu, 05/08/2008 11:04 AM  |  Supplement

That's why parents choose one school over another to educate their children. Some schools, for instance, are very good at science and have produced students who are able to make achievements in various science competitions.

Other schools are proud of their art lessons or extracurricular activities and have produced a number of artists. Two schools in Bali are unique because they pay special attention to the environment and culture.

Green School at the Kul-Kul Campus: The school, located in Sibang Kaja and Banjar Saren villages, Abiansemal district, Badung regency, will open in September 2008 for preschool, kindergarten through to eighth grade students.

Located on eight hectares of pristine land bisected by the Ayung River, the school is committed to teaching students how to live an environmentally sustainable life.

The school complex features rice paddies, organic vegetable gardens, aquaculture ponds and an outward bound-designed rope course. The school's buildings are being constructed using eco-friendly materials such as bamboo and alang-alang grass. The school will be powered by a number of alternative energy sources.

The school's curriculum, which has been designed for 13 years and successfully implemented in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, aims to strengthen students' competencies in core subjects such as English, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music and several other languages.

The curriculum is taught using a holistic approach, making learning both fulfilling and joyful. The school's students will apply their classroom lessons to real-life situations through various entrepreneurial and agricultural projects in the school's Learning Village.

The school's gardens and agricultural land will produce rice, fruit, vegetables, palm sugar and even chocolate from cocoa trees, which will be sold locally through entrepreneurial projects that students help manage. The students will be involved in growing maze, harvesting coconut, honey and breeding fish, etc.

"Every day, our students will be able to live within and think about environmental concerns in disciplines ranging from mathematics to current events," the school said in a statement.

Dyatmika School. The school, located in Banjar Tangtu village, Kesiman subdistrict, Denpasar Timur district, Denpasar regency, is set on a beautiful campus with seven major buildings, a playground and sports field.

Its primary school's curriculum is bilingual (50 percent English, 50 percent Indonesian). International curriculum is delivered along with national curriculum. Its high school offers the University of Cambridge's international examinations.

The not-for-profit school aims to become a leading private national plus school by 2012.

The school works on principles that are considered basic pillars of a prosperous and responsible society: moral integrity, religious and social tolerance, intellectual capacity, broad knowledge, civic responsibility, cultural preservation and sensible management of natural environment.

The school recognizes the values and unique social and cultural traditions of Bali and how these have served to create a stable and tolerant society.

"The observation of these values at school as well as specific instruction in the native language, music, art and customs of Bali, are the cornerstone of Dyatmika's commitment to cultural preservation," the school said.

The school also teaches students to be responsible for the environment and emphasizes proficiency in English and Indonesian. - JP

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