Innovative Schools From Around the World That are Making a Difference

March 30, 2022

Innovative Schools From Around the World That are Making a Difference

M Moving from the traditional to something out-of-the-box seems to be a trend that has caught the interest of not one, or two, but many countries all around the world. Powerful learning comes from best practices, practices that comprise all aspects of the society and the environment. These schools have surely set the bar high with their innovative spin on education.

Albania: They call it the "new epicenter for life in urban neighbourhoods". Seventeen new large-scale schools designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti as part of the new Tirana 2030 master plan, are not only schools, they are open 24x7 and serve the entire community. The schools are used by students during the day as a school campus, and by the whole community on weekends and public holidays as a space for recreational activities and other emergencies. The schools are located in Don Bosko, Kodër-Kamëz, and Piazza Shqiponja areas. These schools include pre-school education facilities, a middle school, and a nursery.

Argentina: Not exactly a particular school but a program called Volvé a La Escuela (Return to School) has made it to the list because of its creativity and effort in getting students back in schools. Under this programme, school administrators have taken to going door-to-door finding students and helping them back to the classrooms.

Armenia: Technology meets art at Tumo Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan, Armenia. This is what we call out-of-the-box; regular school being the box. Tumo provides a creative space for student’s ages 12 through 18 who can come after school and indulge in developing skills not traditionally taught in schools. This has helped students experience workshops, guest lectures, community events, and learning web designing,robotics, animation and film-making, to name a few, all from world’s leading professionals.

Australia: All Saints’ College is one of Australia’s leading independent Anglican co-educational Pre-Kindergarten – Year 12 schools, located in the southern suburbs of Perth in Western Australia. What makes this school great? Students find themselves engaged in a learning environment that is authentic, empathetic and ethical. Programmes such as Propeller Industries (Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), Runway (student-run pop-up shop which features their goods and services), and Catalyst (Centre for Service and Social Enterprise) to name a few, are ones guiding the young minds towards acquiring future-focused skills.

Bangladesh: The solar-powered Floating School of Bangladesh is the answer to the annual monsoon floods in north Bangladesh. With more than half of the country under flood water, regular school sessions are not a possibility. These floating schools act as school buses as well as school houses. These boats can be seen picking up students from riverside villages (pick and drop), making the commute easy for the children.

Bhutan: Gyalyum Tseyring Pem Wangchuck’s School is different from the other primary schools in Bhutan. Here’s how: Ever since the school was adopted by Youth Development Fund (YDF) the school has been following the Place-Based Education method – a method where students are immersed in local heritage, cultures, landscapes, opportunities and experiences. These influences are then used as a foundation for the

Brazil: Advanced Education Nucleus (NAVE) in Rio de Janeiro combines general secondary level education with technical courses with focus on the digital area. At Nave the students learn how to be a part of the digital media, multimedia and digital games programming. The students are encouraged to develop programmes and products, they can be similar to the one already existing on the market. The three-year technical course runs alongside the traditional secondary education. By the end of the school year, the student has already gone in-depth in the subject and is one step closer to the ever-demanding and ever-evolving job market. The three-year technical course runs alongside the traditional secondary education. By the end of the school year, the student has already gone in-depth in the subject and is one step closer to the ever-demanding and ever-evolving job market.

Cambodia: Sra Pou Vocational School, the all-ages school, was built by community members, for community members, to help them learn how to turn their passions into full-fledged businesses. The school, with the help of a local NGO, helps the students learn not only the trade but how to make them sustainable.

Denmark: Oerestad Gymnasium in Denmark, Copenhagen, believes in students sharing and learning in the same place – all 300+ of them. They call it avoiding traditional instruction. The wide-open space inspires students to be flexible in their thinking and problem-solving skills.

Germany: Gymnasium Würselen of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, was awarded the 2017 Delina Bitkom Innovation Prize for its innovative digital education concept. This grammar school made use of technology in the classroom which helped the students understand media education. From rolling out iPads and tablets to regular in-house training for the teachers, it's all about helping the students be at par with the technology of the day.

Hungary: The Circle Chain (Körlánc) School is a model school that focuses on environmental education. Its aim is to educate the students about environment-conscious lifestyles and to prepare the young minds to understand the ever-so-present environmental crisis. The institution also trains teachers to incorporate an environment-conscious approach in their classes.

India: Parvarish The Museum School in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, is a school working towards mitigating inequality in education. A number of museums back this project where the underprivileged children are educated through local museums.

Indonesia: The Green School in Bali was voted the Greenest School on Earth by the Centre for Green Schools for being a stellar example for sustainability. The school follows the concept of being one with nature, in close contact with the environment, caring for it has a positive effect on human intelligence and the ability to solve problems. They strive to champion a new model of education that nurtures the whole child, giving them agency in their own lives and learning, so that they can thrive with purpose.

Ireland: At Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, Claregalway, Co Galway, innovation takes the centrestage. Teachers and students use technology to create their own textbooks, games, magazines etc., this encourages the staff and students to control what and how they learn. Knowing that what they create can become a part of the curriculum, gives the students’ confidence, and the relationship with learning is stronger. The school has also developed a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) short course, delivered once a week for one hour. The focus is given on the various scientific methods.

Italy: I.S.S. Ettore Majorana in Brindisi, Italy, is all about innovative teaching methods. They have taken digitalisation and given it a creative spin; instead of student’s chairs, they use mobile desks, the first school to use Oculus Rift Virtual Reality System, delivered lessons via streaming long before the pandemic and the lockdowns that ensued.

Japan: Colleges of Technology, or "kosen," are higher education institutions that offer a comprehensive five-year program for junior high school graduates. There are 51 Kosen Schools in Japan, all known to have a curriculum focused not only on technical studies, but also on liberal arts. The graduates are known to become Japan’s most sought-after innovators. At Kosen Schools, students are taught cross-curricular, and students are always the focus.

Nepal: Kopila Valley School is the brainchild of Maggie Doyne. A school built to provide high-quality education to the underprivileged children of Surkhet, doing wonders for the children as well as the community. The folks at Kopila Valley mainly focus on sustainability. From rammed earth walls and concentrated solar power systems to constructed wetlands to act as water filters, the Kopila Valley School is a model school that teaches its students that environmental sustainability is something that they should take seriously.

Netherlands: Steve Jobs School, Amsterdam, rejects the conventional wisdom, and supports kids to go at their own pace. Each student begins with an Individual Development Plan (IDP), and based on the evaluation, done by the child or his or her parents, the child gets new learning challenges. Students in the 4th to 12th grade are given iPads that contain individualised learning materials. Meaning, a student is free to design his or her own education.

New Zealand: The Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery School is a publicly funded elementary and high school managed with the help of the families and the community. Teachers and parents help prepare personalised curriculum for students. The school allows the students to spend part of the school hours outside of the school, as a day trip to libraries, city centres, parks, etc, whatever they find interesting. The students are allowed to have one day of the week to study at home. And also, group studies that can take place at the home of one of the students.

Nigeria: The three stories high Makoko Floating School in Lagos, Nigeria is Nigeria’s answer to the problem of rising water levels. The 1,000 square feet Makoko Floating School comes with classrooms that can hold up-to 100 students in total, a play area, and compost toilets. The school was created by architecture firm NLÉ, the Heinrich Bo¨ll Foundation and the United Nations.

Peru: Half the day is spent learning tech-heavy online lessons, and the other half learning the traditional way. That’s how things are at Innova School, Peru. The technology-heavy school, however, is light on the pocket. Coming at roughly $130 a month, the school's winning hearts in every way.

Philippines: iACADEMY’s Senior High School (SHS) programme ties in seamlessly with their College Programme, as in, here, their Senior High School and College are not two separate programmes, but it continues as one enhanced course. They call this their Enhanced Program. At iACADEMY, the college curriculum prepares the students for the real world.

Saudi Arabia: The pandemic, as bad as it was, also saw six million children being part of Saudi Arabia’s journey to digital and distance education. "Madrasati'' (''My School") – a local bespoke learning platform, was made available for the students, and most of the teachers believed that their students’ academic achievement and skills increased during the digital and distance education. There was an increase in the students' digital literacy, independent learning, time management, creativity, and problem solving skills. Even though now everyone wants to go back to in-person schooling, many agree on the use of Madrasati and the new digital resources.

Sweden: Egalia Pre-School in Stockholm, by rejecting gender-based pronouns, is teaching the kids to think of one another on equal terms. It's either the first name or “they” at the Egalia School. The Egalia school system is made up of two schools, Egalia and Nicolaigården, and as a part of a mission to avoid discrimination of all kinds, children are taught this unique way of interaction. A school where gender, religion, age, class, sexual orientation, gender expression, disability, all these are seen as neutral. “It is important that the children learn the basis of democracy both in practice and theory in order to be good world citizens who do not discriminate," shares Headmaster Lotta Rajalin.

Thailand: Moo Baan Dek (Children’s Village), is a learning center and teacher training center that uses elements of Buddhism and psychotherapy to provide education for the disadvantaged children. The students at Moo Baan Dek spend time in nature and learn how to create a self-dependent and sustainable community for themselves. With no set rule as to what the students will learn in this school, the students also have the freedom to control what they want to learn. They are free to control the terms of their own education.

United States of America, The: Big Picture Learning in Providence, Rhode Island, breaks down the wall between education and the working world. Students have the access to mentors who work in the field of their (students’) choices. "The most important element of the education at a Big Picture Learning school is that students learn in the real world," says Rodney Davis, Communications Director at Big Picture Learning, each student completes LTI (a period of Learning Through Internship). "The projects are connected to the student's interests and meet the needs of the mentors," Davis adds.

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