These are some of the world’s greenest schools

28 Mar 2019

What makes a school green? While there are many bodies or frameworks to certify or measure whether a school is ‘green’, a green or sustainable school goes beyond its facade.

There may many ways to describe a green school, but at the crux lies its commitment to being green and environmentally-sustainable.

As The Center for Green Schools aptly notes: “A green school is about more than curriculum, more than programming and more than bricks and mortar. It’s a school that supports global sustainability in every way. A green school begins with the future in mind, designing a learning experience for students that will prepare them to lead the world toward a healthier, cleaner, more sustainable future.”

With the growing awareness of climate change and the need to be more environmentally-friendly, schools that are going green are welcome news.

So, where are some of the world’s greenest schools and what’s so magical about them? Let’s find out.

The Green School Bali

Hands-on learning at Green School: Grade 5 learn to make paper from the banana trunk in Science Class.#thisisgreenschool pic.twitter.com/ZLPrAiaecc

— greenschoolbali (@GreenSchoolBali) December 21, 2018

At first glance, this private school in Indonesia may resemble an eco-resort rather than a school, but don’t be deceived.

Established in 2008, the wall-less school prides itself on its sustainable education. The Green School Bali’s structure is made from bamboo – a biodegradable material – and is also powered by hydro-electricity and solar panels.

But is the school producing green students? Two of its students, sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen, started a movement named Bye Bye Plastic Bags to combat the plastic problem in Bali. Their efforts convinced Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika work towards making Bali plastic-bag free by 2018.

The Independent Schools Foundation (ISF)

I wanted to find out what was happening in Hong Kong schools re sustainability. After much research, and a bout of crowdsourcing, here are the leading schools #green #schools #HongKong #Sustainable #sustainability #Eco #eco-literacyhttps://t.co/JsA1ZsRRgh

— Marianne Bray (@mariannefbray) June 5, 2018

Not many schools can say they have an energy monitoring system that lights up whenever usage is rising – but ISF does.

According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP), ISF’s energy monitoring system alerts students when their energy usage has increased, prompting them to find the source of waste. The school also has a Centre for Renewable Energy Education (CREE) and a solar rooftop microgrid featuring wall-mounted panels and battery storage.

Nifty.

Etania Green School

Etania Green School, for stateless children in Sabah, just won a sustainability award: https://t.co/KhxKDqStNC

— Nine (@supernowoczesna) March 23, 2019

This school in Sabah, Malaysia is unique as it was made for stateless children who would otherwise have no access to education in Malaysia.

According to SCMP, the school is built in a flood-prone area, hence its high-set structure, while classrooms on the upper floor are made from recycled timber. It also uses solar panels to provide electricity, while the roof catches enough rain for their water needs.

So impressive are its effort that the school won the sustainable project category of the Trends Excellence Awards for Architecture & Design by Home & Design Trends magazine.