ASG member Sandra Radice is the author of Our Green Change: A Journey to Green School, Bali & Beyond. In this special report, she describes how her family’s educational odyssey has left a lasting impression. 



From her first tentative steps as a cautious 14-month-old, investing in our daughter’s education has been a core priority for my husband, Tyron, and me. It’s one of the reasons we became members of ASG. 



Like many parents, when Taylor started school, reading, writing, and how “well” she was doing became the benchmark on which we judged her success. 



But learning takes place in many shapes and forms. It encompasses not only academic development but also emotional, physical, social and spiritual progression too. 



That’s why, a few years ago, we decided to take Taylor out of Grade Four in our local government primary school in Sydney to test-drive an alternative education model in Bali. She was nine years old at the time. 



Green School Bali is an English-speaking international school that attracts families worldwide. It provides a progressive education model from pre-Kindy to Grade 12, where the love of learning and care for the earth is paramount. 



Located across eight hectares of semi-jungle about 25 minutes southwest of Ubud, the entire campus is made from bamboo. From stunning multi-level pavilions to classrooms, desks and chairs. Not only is bamboo in plentiful supply in Bali, but it’s also one of the most sustainable building materials on the planet. 



Taylor is academically minded and a little shy by nature, so we knew a jungle school would be out of her comfort zone – out of all our comfort zones. 



But the pull of an overseas adventure proved too alluring, and we decided to put the wheels in motion. 



As a freelance TV producer, taking extended leave wasn’t too hard for me. Things were trickier for Tyron, who had to figure out how to run his Australian-based business remotely. Luckily Bali isn’t too far, making return work trips feasible. Renting our Sydney apartment would help cover our living expenses abroad. Six months later, we relocated to Bali. 



It wasn’t an easy transition. There was a massive earthquake on the neighbouring island of Lombok a few days after we arrived (which was felt in Bali). Tyron had a nasty scooter accident, and Taylor (who broke her leg a few months before leaving Sydney) struggled to find her feet at an open-air school with no air-conditioning, let alone flushing toilets. The humidity that came with living in the tropics also took some adjusting. 



Slowly we acclimatised to both our new environment and an unconventional school. 



Much of the learning in primary school is craft-based and hands-on. All the usual subjects are taught, like Maths, Literacy, Science, Art, Music and Physical Education. There’s also Green Studies which teaches students to appreciate the natural world, along with Indonesian Language and Culture Studies.



There’s no homework or tests in Primary School. There are guiding principles for each subject, but about 30 per cent of what teachers do in class is derived from creative expression and experimentation.



There were times when Taylor didn’t feel academically challenged enough. In our second year in Bali, she was bumped up a grade and placed into Middle School. It meant she was learning with kids a year or two older than herself, which was a step up socially, but something she wanted to do. 



It helped quench her thirst for more challenging work and was an example of the school’s flexibility in adapting to a child’s individual needs. 



It wasn’t only Taylor learning new skills. I started attending workshops and seminars at The Bridge, an adult co-working/learning centre on campus, dubbed “Green School for Grown-Ups”. Topics included everything from permaculture to parenting to the legalities of running a business in Bali. 



Most of all, through these inspiring talks and various projects initiated by the school, we learned more about our environmental footprint and the changes we can make to help reduce our impact on the earth. 



Tyron and I had weekly Bahasa Indonesia lessons (Bahasa means language). We participated in traditional ceremonies, and I learned how to farm organic rice with farmers from a nearby village. It helped me connect with a more authentic Bali. 



We made new friends – both international families – and Balinese people in our village in Ubud. They are friendships that have transcended borders. 



Our educational odyssey lasted two years. And whilst I feel a more mainstream system is better suited for our daughter long-term, I'd love to see elements of the Green School model incorporated into Australia's education system more broadly. 



Green School is one of a growing number of international schools worldwide. Whilst not an option for everyone, the acceptability of remote work is making long-term travel with children more achievable, exposing families to lessons that go beyond the classroom. 



For more information on Sandra’s memoir, Our Green Change: A Journey to Green School, Bali & Beyond, head to www.ourgreenchange.com.au