6 nonlinear schools

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about linear thinking, is education. How amazing is it today, in this world, that we have not changed the way we teach children in a better way? When I lived in Brussels, our kids went to ISB. An amazing international school where everybody is included. Everybody is included there because of two things. Money and nonlinear teaching. With the money, they are able to adjust to every child's need. And they have the money to do it, the school fee per year: 34.000 euros. (primary and secondary)

Now, this Monday, I am reading an article in Dutch about 6 schools. Title of the article: free as a bird in a closed and old fashion system. For me, this sounds like, nonlinear education! I need to know more about this. These 6 schools are taking their own destiny.

#1 Brockwood Park School

Educational philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti's biggest concern was that we stuff children with information and then test whether they remembered it. But what we don't teach them is how they can learn and discover for themselves. "If we only prepare children to be able to provide for themselves, they will miss the meaning of life." Krishnamurti founded Brockwood Park School in 1969, an international boarding school for children aged 14 to 19. A small school in the countryside where children are taught in a holistic way. What do they do differently? There is no punishment and no reward. No grades are given, no prizes are awarded and they do not know competition. Instead, children are given space and the freedom to make mistakes. Children are given the opportunity to compose their own study programme so that their intrinsic interest is fed.

#2 Green School Bali (see photo)

Another school that proves that things can be done differently; the Green School Bali. This sustainable school is built of bamboo, has no walls, and is located in the middle of the jungle. The Green School is now known as the best school in the world and that is due to the fact that everything has been thought about. Not only is the environment green, but the building is also made of natural materials and the school generates its own clean energy. The children are working on sustainability every day and are called the future green leaders. They learn about and especially in nature. The students grow their own fruit and vegetables and take care of the farm animals. In addition, in addition to arithmetic and language, there is a lot of attention for other subjects. For example, yoga is a fixed part of the study program. Of course, an expensive private school on the other side of the world is not for everyone, but we can certainly use the Green School as a source of inspiration.

#3 Nowschool

Taking the Green School Bali as an example is exactly what education pioneer Juliette Schraauwers does. Juli?tte sees that children, parents, and teachers are trapped in a hopelessly outdated, linear, and economy-driven education system. With NOWSCHOOL – based on the vision of the Green School – she offers an alternative. It is an adaptive learning eco-system that is future-proof and solution-oriented. The most important question that is central to this: 'What is school intended for?' NOWSCHOOL is still under development and it is still a while before the school doors open. Because unleashing an education revolution is not without a struggle. Despite the fact that the challenges faced by the educational pioneers are great, the team refuses to give up its dream. "We have been working hard for 2.5 years to show that inclusive and regenerative education is really possible."

#4 Vrijeschool

There are also schools in the Netherlands that have long and broadly proven that things can be done differently. A well-known school is the anthroposophical Waldorf School, also called Vrije school. The Vrije school is a form of education based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner. The education system has been running for years. Especially in recent years, the school has been on the rise and more and more parents are opting for this approach. Free does not mean that everything is allowed and possible. The students but also the board members have to adhere to imposed standards. But things are definitely different. In addition to the lessons for the cognitive, such as reading and arithmetic, a lot of attention is paid to subjects such as dance, singing, and painting. Because that is the vision: one is practical, the other more intellectual and a third is, for example, a socially oriented type.

#5 Laterna Magica

Another one in Europe is the Laterna Magica school, where children learn naturally. "We start from their curiosity, where the school is a practice world. But one that is closely connected to the outside world. In the vegetable garden, for example, children can harvest vegetables that, by reading a recipe carefully and under supervision, they transform into a dish. And parents can then buy that again at the 'take-away'," says school leader Sara Steyn. The school lets go of existing structures and not only students but also for teachers, the space for development is important. Because what about teachers when we talk about innovative education? "Often schools themselves are not learning organizations. They are guided by the system in which it is determined what a child must learn per year. Teachers feel little room to do things differently and to develop themselves." On Laterna Magica it's completely different.

#6 Finland

And if there's one country where they excel in education, it's Finland. In recent years, an educational revolution has taken place there. Where in the Netherlands Laterna Magica is still unique, in recent years in Finland the walls of hundreds of public schools have been removed. Both the physical walls and the barriers between different compartments. And it didn't stop there, the divisions in age groups were also lifted. From now on, children of different ages will work together in groups. And with success.

note: I copied and translated the text from the 6 schools from the Dutch article, https://maatschapwij.nu/blogs/7-onderwijspioniers/