One year on: A view from the top

It is just over one year since I took on the direction of the Green School Project.  I have been asked to reflect on the year and to highlight particular changes. The changes from my perspective may be very different from the changes from the perspective of our clientele, but here goes…

The emotional energy of the project was tense and critical at the end of 2008 – a far cry from the celebratory and congratulatory energy that existed at the time of the opening four months previously.  Green School had opened and professed and tried to be all things to all people.  The reality of not being able to sustain that hit home very quickly, and I suspect that was the biggest reason for the change in energy.

My priority was to turn that energy from being negative in nature to being positive in nature, to rebuild confidence in the project.  The most obvious way to do that was to focus and not continue trying to be all things to all people.  Green School needed to develop a culture – what kind of a school it should be.  Once the focus was decided – and it seems ironic to say now that the chosen focus was ‘green’ – it was quite easy to define the mission and identify the underpinning values to honour in order to fulfil that mission.

When those critical first tasks were satisfactorily completed and communicated, deciding on the organisational structure and then the curriculum to achieve the mission were the next major keys. The choice of curriculum included healthy debate, presentations, discussion… but once a choice was made and conveyed, there was an audible sigh of relief in the community.  To hold onto the academic rigour of teaching the essential skills of English, Mathematics and Science while developing a unique Green Studies curriculum and promoting the Creative Arts seemed to be what the majority were looking for.  There was unanimous agreement that the curriculum should be delivered in such a way that the outcome would be well-rounded young people who would be stewards of the environment, and would have access to the best schools and universities internationally.

The next step in the journey – resourcing the curriculum – then became much easier. We knew the kind of people to retain and to hire, the books and materials to source, the organisations to build links with…

Although systems and procedures had been built from scratch, they had not had the luxury of time to consider linear progression, continuity, consistency…  So an audit and then a plan to review and re-document everything became the next obvious thing to do.

Throughout the above process, it was inevitable that some families and teachers would decide that a focused Green School was not going to meet why they had made an initial commitment, and that they would decide to leave the project. The reassurance was that everyone joining the project from then on would know exactly what they were buying into.

Small initiatives like opening the Green Warung, organising a school-wide chocolate making event, hosting Ben (of Ben and Jerry) to make ice cream with us, taking in Suklu as artist in residence, beginning a lunch service for students serving good wholesome food…  they were all tiny steps along the way to establishing the school’s credibility in doing things differently to promote learning and develop good habits.

Achieving our international school licence to operate (when so much of what is required is not yet in place, but the Director General for the Management of Primary and Secondary Schools had faith in us to realise our promises) was a time for celebration.  We were in the first batch of licences to be issued in Indonesia in fifteen years.

Once staffing appointments had been confirmed for 2009-2010, and curriculum choices had been made and documented as transparently as possible, and the most important policies and procedures had been documented into handbooks, it was time to open the new school year with a revitalised and refreshed approach to inclusion, transparency, community building, and academic rigour. The emotional energy by this time was overwhelmingly positive and supportive.  A ‘can do, will do’ attitude became the norm.

The principal we selected is running a tight ship – as I knew he would from my previous professional relationship with him – and the teachers are going the extra mile in responding to new systems and demands.  It is a physically tiring work environment, but the levels of resilience have been impressive.

To see the launch of the Parent-Teacher Association, FrOGS (Friends of Green School) and their first event, was a delight.

To inaugurate – albeit on a small scale – Bali’s first school bus system with White Horse was a great moment.

To host a meeting of the Bali Heads of Schools Association (BHOSA) in Heart of School with the marimba ensemble playing in the background was a satisfying milestone.

To welcome the Governor of Bali to Green School and to see his obvious pride and support for the project was a coup.

To witness regular assemblies of students and teachers, often with visiting parents, where students’ efforts, achievements and attitudes are celebrated in a warm and supportive environment is just great.

To be invited to be keynote presenter at the Australasian Conference of the Council of International Schools meant a huge amount. Subsequent invitations to be guest presenter at the Victoria School Bursars and Business Managers’ Conference, keynote presenter at the Annual Conference of the Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia, keynote presenter at the Annual Leadership Conference of the Association of National Plus Schools of Indonesia, then guest lecturer at National University Singapore all followed.

My appearance at these conferences have shown interest at three levels:  the Green School Project itself of course; the form of presentation I give – a visual one at which I tell the story; and my own reinvention from a successful career in conventional international education to this alternative model.  The interest in the latter level has been confirmed by the many visits of my former students, their families, and former employees and colleagues.

My reinvention has to a significant level affected my personal life:  taking fresh organic produce from the Green Market several times a week has given me a much better diet; converting a section of my garden into growing herbs and vegetables (though the field mice tend to reach the harvest before I do); appreciating living and working in a non-air-conditioned environment; my household staff deciding to make batik bags that we take grocery shopping so that we do not need to use plastic; a serious consideration of switching off appliances when not essential….  and only wearing a tie on special occasions.  Ha!

It is a privilege to playing a part in this amazing pioneering project in education.

Ronald Stones OBE
Director of the Green School Project

February 2010