The Green School in Bali is truly unique, not just for its bamboo architecture or enchanting campus, but for its grace and gratitude towards nature.
The Green School in Bali is truly unique, not just for its bamboo architecture or enchanting campus, but for its grace and gratitude towards nature.
The virtues of bamboo are celebrated at the Green School. The giant grass underpins literally everything on campus and its manifestations vary from name badges, furniture to the actual buildings themselves. Its versatility and resilience is a testament to the beauty of nature, but also a tribute to the spirit of the place and the people who work here.
The first thing that strikes you is the campus itself. The main school building, aptly called ‘Heart of School’, is an awe-inspiring architectural feat, using traditional methods of constructing dwellings using only bamboo. The classrooms have no walls, children walk in, take their shoes off and simply get on with it.
As a fresh ‘Green School Parent’ (apparently this term is part of Ubud’s expat social stratification and I am not comfortable with it), I was ready to embrace the unfamiliar and accept both the contradictions and the narrative; I decided I will pass judgment only when my children have completed the term.
Day One was pretty exciting for the whole family. The clan clambered into the van and our driver drove us to the school through winding roads surrounded by paddy fields and small villages. We met other parents on their ‘first day’, talked about our journeys that led us to that particular moment, and I quite enjoyed listening to their stories.
We walked across campus and dropped our daughter off to her classroom (with no walls) and she was instantly surrounded by other children and was briskly taken away to a group of other children who were using a computer… they were writing a letter to President Trump. It was a good start.
My son met his teacher and she introduced him to other kids, they all took to him like ducks to water and no one flinched or complained. An equally good start.
Parents are welcomed at this school. To hang around, meet other parents, use the coffee shop, sit under a thatched roof and boot up their computers or go for a yoga class. A great family atmosphere and you instantly feel a sense of belonging. Most parents have interesting life stories; a banker who’s chosen to stop wearing suits to teachers and painters who have all sought reincarnation on this island. There was this quasi-spiritual, new-age vibe that I instinctively doubted, but I reminded myself that I will not pass judgment until we finish the term.
There’s a cashless system to buy lunches and snacks and our kids were given their little cards and we were informed that we’ll get a statement at the end of the month which details what they’ve eaten and spent their money on (no ice-creams until the last day of the week).
Every afternoon, the classroom’s brass dong goes off and the children have an hour of mindfulness, to sit, rest, read, draw – it’s quiet time. This little ritual in a way reboots them for the remainder of the day after school. They are asked to do whatever they love to do during this hour – my daughter read a book, my son decided to draw.
Our children participated in a full moon celebration prayer, they’ve learnt words and sentences in Bahasa and are on a journey of discovery that holds the promise of lifelong memories. We’re now learning from them.
There’s a sense of gratitude that prevalent on campus. From the parents who feel lucky enough to get their kids here to the teachers, assistants, cooks, gardeners, security staff and attendants – everyone seems to find comfort on campus. The school charges fees for expats but provides free education to the local Indonesian children – that works for me, as the privilege of being here is balanced by the sense of giving back to the local community.
I started contemplating how one could introduce a similar spirit and culture to one’s work environment. I run a successful consultancy and design firm and would love to introduce or cultivate a similar spirit of belonging and gratitude. I am bemused by the idea of seeing how my team would react if we have to high-five before and after every meeting, hug everyone as they end the day, sit on the floor for meetings and not across a table, take their shoes off and walk barefoot, have quiet time of their own on a daily basis to do what they love. Would they cringe or celebrate a new way to embrace their day?
We are stuck in our ways at work and I am now obsessing about trying this out in my office. Most companies talk about what they do, how they do it but seldom articulate why they do it (a purpose beyond profit). I believe progressive companies talk about the ‘why’ first. Luckily I do this for a living on behalf of others so we had this figured out – our purpose is to make the whole world worthy of travel (our why). We do it by building brands that are true to their enduring essence (our how) and we offer design and strategy services (our what). I think that’s well codified and simple to convey.
Now how do I get everyone to believe that the whole world is actually worthy of travel? I guess by learning from classrooms with no walls and celebrating the discovery of new people, places and paradigms.
To start, we need to get rid of walls (now we write on Facebook walls). The walls of dogmatic thought, bigoted views, prejudice, borders and narrow opinions.
To do this we need to align to a common purpose, articulate shared beliefs and then create profound rituals that respect and nurture those values. Relationships and religions – both become powerful with singularity in ideology and firm rituals.
A life well lived, is a world well travelled.
Sharing stories, creating new ones.
We can all learn from the Green School. Remove the walls, allow people to embrace the environment and each other.
Then, let nature take its course.
