Oasis Valley School

2009 08 16

Our first meeting summary.

We invited three Canadians to Fukuoka to describe their child school life. They all had quite different educational experiences as children from what we might find in Japan and indeed quite different from each other.

Both David and Rich are former members of Windsor House School in Vancouver, Canada.

Krystal did not go to school at all, nor was she home schooled, but "Unschooled at home".

Mr. Noguchi introduced David Gagnon as the principal speaker.

David began with a description of the Windsor House School and it's recent history. He himself did not start at Windsor house, but rather a regular government funded school. However, it was not long before he became unhappy, primarily because he was forced to learn to read in a manner not compatible with his character and also before he was ready. In this way, a phobia to reading was developed, and to learning "in the school way" in general. This is commonly found in children. He soon refused to go to school.

Fortunately, his parents were enlightened enough not to force him, and he spent the next year happily at home playing with Lego. Every couple of weeks, his parents took him to look at another school. Where ever he went, he found the same thing. Children involuntarily placed in rote reading classes. (Now as an adult, he recalled to me that this loss of personal empowerment was deeply disturbing to him).

On one such school visit, he found that he had arrived at break time, which lasted the whole day! Wandering round the back of the school he met other children of all ages, digging a hole. He asked "What are you doing?" "Digging a pool! Want to help?" So he picked up a spade, and joined in.

David described the school as a place that he felt he should be, as a place where all the children could choose their activities, and where children were continuously able to challenge themselves in their own time.

A father in the audience asked him how he learned to read in such an environment. "When I needed to read, I learned. Actually, I was playing computer games on the school computer, and could not progress without reading the messages and text. Without thinking I was learning, I learned. It took about 2 weeks. After that, I could read".

During the discussion it transpired that many students don't bother to "graduate", but go straight into the area of their interest. Those Windsor House students who decide to go to collage do what is needed to enter. David noted that collage is not always a suitable place for many teenagers graduating from school.

Later, to the dismay and astonishment of the pensioners in the audience, David had no hesitation in declaring that he himself did not "graduate" from high school. Further amazement that Krystal had not only not graduated, but had never set foot in a school. Yet she was clearly an able and successful person.

At this, Alexander also declared that he had not "graduated" either, and "...in fact, not one child in the UK has ever graduated. Such a thing simply does not exist. It is a worthless symbol at this level of education."

The older Japanese where incredulous and one heard to say in Japanese "How can that be acceptable in society?" At the same time, in English, Alexander wondered "...how can high school graduation still be acceptable in a modern society?"

It is interesting and ironic that two cultures, two generations, two languages and two view points were moving in parallel on the same issue at the same time, unaware of each other's thoughts. (This is probably a topic to cover in a future meeting.)