“Colegio Viver” is a private school founded 30 years ago hosting 150 students (middle class) from 1,5 to 14 years old. Each grade has one class And every year they are going to reach another grade. The school tries to use other ways of education to give all the pupils the opportunity of education. |
Founding story
It was founded over 30 years ago, it started with the early childhood education, or kindergarten, based on the extended family approach and a strong connection with nature and valuing the element of play.
It was founded over 30 years ago, it started with the early childhood education, or kindergarten, based on the extended family approach and a strong connection with nature and valuing the element of play.
Teaching methodology and curriculum
Two main goals they want the students to reach are to get autonomy and to learn how to take decision.
The topics are mostly choosed by the students, but the teachers sometime can put some subjects. Than they research information by themselves. That is the way to reach anatomy and to learn some tools for life. They also do conversation groups to talk about a topic and to exchange knowledge and the work with the others.
The school has a very strict and detailed, but minimum curriculum. Being private it is hard for them to don't follow the pressure of the parents or of the competition with other schools. They are really depending of the willness of learning from each student (what is harder every year) and struggling to make them learn alone.
The school goes until the 9th grade, what they call “Ensino Fundamental”. After this they have to spend 3 more years in another school doing the “Ensino Médio” and than they have to attend the “ENEM” (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio).
The classes are small, from 12 to 20 students and they want them to participate with the help of Asambleias (for the older ones once a week and for the smaller ones, when they need it) and using the way of learning in projects. The Asambleias are school meetings and a way to teach the students the equality and esteem of their thoughts and ideas and to encourage them to participate in an active way spreading their opinions and to make use of the right of their freedom of expression with regard to choose their own learning topics.
The school depends on the willness of learning from every students, but its difficult for them to change their ways of learning and to organize and inform themselves. They are involved in nearly all the decisions and can choose the learning topics by their own. To reach their goals they let the students research information by themselves and in this way get the autonomy and learn some tools for life.
The “teacher” describe themselves as learning partners, who accompany the students in their learning processes and who exchange their knowledge on an equal level. Sometimes, because of higher edge and more experience they can teach things, but always with a lot of respect.
Organizational and structural aspects
They have classrooms, a huge garden with a playground and a football place. The kindergarden is separated and also has a lot of space in the garden with a playground, some animals, gardening space and some natural constructions for playing.
Both, pupils and teachers make decisions. Like everything need to be talked in the “Asambleia” everybody can take vote in the decision making. Only about the timetable it is different and the students can not decide, because it is a thing which has to meet the requirements from the government.
At the moment there is not that much cooperation with the community, because the families only live in the area. But don't spend that much time there. Nearly everybody is working in the city. The school really wishes to get them more involved and they try a lot in offering voluntary work or some cooperation with clubs. They want to build up some partnerships. Some time ago they started to work with a poor area near by and they also would like to work with a organisation for special needs.
Funding
An 80% of the payment come from the dues of the parents. They don't have any donations or fundings. Right now they are trying to find some donations.
Personal Experience
When we came there we had a long talk with the headteacher. We found a very passioned person talking about other ways of education and the importance of the tools to reach information or work to learn for life.
After we went to some classroom where we found students working on their projects in small groups. It didn't seem like class it was more merry and warm mood, pupils working together with the help of the “teachers” if they need them. Than we went into the huge garden and not waiting that much many students came to us to play some games. We came up against very open minded, communicative and friendly kids, who are interested in the visitors the school is hosting.
In the break they offered us some coffee and we felt very home. It was a nice experience, because we couldn't communicate that much with the kids and the workers in the kitchen, because of the portugese, but it didn't matter, people were just happy and proud to have us there.
They also showed us the kindergarden, which is on the other side of the road. When we entered there the educators and the children were sitting under a big tree playing some games and laughing a lot. They invited some of us to join a music”lesson” and they showed us the rooms and all the materials. Everything was very real made from and for children. A huge variety of pedagogical material and learning spaces, but with a special home feeling.
We were glad to visit them and to meet such nice kids and adults. We would like to stay there for a longer period, so went of a little sad.
Two main goals they want the students to reach are to get autonomy and to learn how to take decision.
The topics are mostly choosed by the students, but the teachers sometime can put some subjects. Than they research information by themselves. That is the way to reach anatomy and to learn some tools for life. They also do conversation groups to talk about a topic and to exchange knowledge and the work with the others.
The school has a very strict and detailed, but minimum curriculum. Being private it is hard for them to don't follow the pressure of the parents or of the competition with other schools. They are really depending of the willness of learning from each student (what is harder every year) and struggling to make them learn alone.
The school goes until the 9th grade, what they call “Ensino Fundamental”. After this they have to spend 3 more years in another school doing the “Ensino Médio” and than they have to attend the “ENEM” (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio).
The classes are small, from 12 to 20 students and they want them to participate with the help of Asambleias (for the older ones once a week and for the smaller ones, when they need it) and using the way of learning in projects. The Asambleias are school meetings and a way to teach the students the equality and esteem of their thoughts and ideas and to encourage them to participate in an active way spreading their opinions and to make use of the right of their freedom of expression with regard to choose their own learning topics.
The school depends on the willness of learning from every students, but its difficult for them to change their ways of learning and to organize and inform themselves. They are involved in nearly all the decisions and can choose the learning topics by their own. To reach their goals they let the students research information by themselves and in this way get the autonomy and learn some tools for life.
The “teacher” describe themselves as learning partners, who accompany the students in their learning processes and who exchange their knowledge on an equal level. Sometimes, because of higher edge and more experience they can teach things, but always with a lot of respect.
Organizational and structural aspects
They have classrooms, a huge garden with a playground and a football place. The kindergarden is separated and also has a lot of space in the garden with a playground, some animals, gardening space and some natural constructions for playing.
Both, pupils and teachers make decisions. Like everything need to be talked in the “Asambleia” everybody can take vote in the decision making. Only about the timetable it is different and the students can not decide, because it is a thing which has to meet the requirements from the government.
At the moment there is not that much cooperation with the community, because the families only live in the area. But don't spend that much time there. Nearly everybody is working in the city. The school really wishes to get them more involved and they try a lot in offering voluntary work or some cooperation with clubs. They want to build up some partnerships. Some time ago they started to work with a poor area near by and they also would like to work with a organisation for special needs.
Funding
An 80% of the payment come from the dues of the parents. They don't have any donations or fundings. Right now they are trying to find some donations.
Personal Experience
When we came there we had a long talk with the headteacher. We found a very passioned person talking about other ways of education and the importance of the tools to reach information or work to learn for life.
After we went to some classroom where we found students working on their projects in small groups. It didn't seem like class it was more merry and warm mood, pupils working together with the help of the “teachers” if they need them. Than we went into the huge garden and not waiting that much many students came to us to play some games. We came up against very open minded, communicative and friendly kids, who are interested in the visitors the school is hosting.
In the break they offered us some coffee and we felt very home. It was a nice experience, because we couldn't communicate that much with the kids and the workers in the kitchen, because of the portugese, but it didn't matter, people were just happy and proud to have us there.
They also showed us the kindergarden, which is on the other side of the road. When we entered there the educators and the children were sitting under a big tree playing some games and laughing a lot. They invited some of us to join a music”lesson” and they showed us the rooms and all the materials. Everything was very real made from and for children. A huge variety of pedagogical material and learning spaces, but with a special home feeling.
We were glad to visit them and to meet such nice kids and adults. We would like to stay there for a longer period, so went of a little sad.
Author: Lydia Krieg Date: November 2014 Photography by Edu On Tour |