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Mar/Apr 2015
believed to be the biggest freestanding
bamboo building in the world and is
augmented with bamboo classrooms
and a bridge that connects the school
with its family accommodation. But while
the use of bamboo is an essential part of
the school’s green credentials, it is only
the beginning of the story.
Most schools don’t have cows. This one
does and they play a vital part in the
composting program. All the leftover
food (and banana leaves used to
serve it on) is composted, helped out
by a couple of cows who like to munch
their way through some of the leftovers
before, shall we say, depositing it back
whence it came in a slightly different
form. This accelerates the process
and the compost is then used by the
children to grow vegetables. And those
vegetables end up back on the menu,
completing the circle.
Next to the vegetable garden is another
example. The vortex is a school project
unlike any Essential Bali ever did. Water
from the river flows into the vortex,
creating a whirlpool effect turning
a turbine that creates energy. The
combination of solar panels and vortex
create the school’s energy. Once water
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has left the vortex it runs through
a filter that picks out litter before
continuing its journey downriver.
These are just a couple of
examples of things the students
do. It’s a school with an
environmental focus, but it also
approaches education in a
different way from the norm,
encouraging project-based
learning rather than mere
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classroom indoctrination. Every
parent we spoke to at the school
shared one opinion – “my kids love
coming here every day.” How many
parents can say that? International
students make up a large part of the
group but the scholarship program
dramatically increases the number of
local students who are able to attend,
adding to a United Nations of pupils.
Our day of bamboo discovery was finally
at an end. We had been told more than
we would ever remember and become
fascinated by the science, the art, the
design and flexibility of this wonderful
substance. Too often being green means
compromising on style or substance; with
bamboo it actually adds to both. And
that makes it something to treasure.
DO IT OUR WAY
See first-hand how they transform
simple blades of grass into such
extraordinary designs. The Green
Village, Green School and PT
Bamboo company are situated
close together and can all be
incorporated in one tour. We
indulged in the Model Making
and Joinery Techniques classes
that cost US$55 each. A half-day
tour of the school and village
takes around four hours and costs
US$28-33 (US$17-20 for 11-16 year
olds, children free.) Contact Green
Village for combinations.
www.greenvillagebali.com
+62 (0) 811 392 2254
[email protected]
5. At one with nature: A
Primary School classroom
at Green School
6. At the sharp end: The
tools of the trade remain
very basic
www.essential-bali.com