Nature schools can be described as an educational ecosystem for children. They are not like any buildings or closed spaces known as schools or educational complexes! In these schools, children gain the necessary experiences to understand their Innate abilities better.
The best definition for a nature school would be to describe it as a purposeful and free educational group that provides practical opportunities for children in open and natural spaces. However, you should know that different definitions can be considered for these schools, and these schools can be established in various forms, like forest schools or school gardens.Â
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What Are The Purposes Of Nature Schools?
The most important purpose of nature schools is to provide children with real experiences. Theoretical lessons that schools and universities teach and frequently repeat during 12 long years can never take the place of first-hand experience. Nature schools were built to allow children to gain experiences by directly interacting with nature in a safe environment.
The purpose of these schools is not in contrast to common and theoretical lessons but complementary to them. Gaining first-hand experiences along with learning theoretical science will yield better and more efficient results. In other words, such schools, besides putting people in open environments, will encourage them to utilize the lessons they have learned to solve problems. Such an educational process will prepare children for a better life.Â
How Is The Environment of A Nature School?
As mentioned before, these schools are somewhat of an open and safe environment for childlike euphoria and curiosity. In this place, children are directly faced with nature and its problems and try to brainstorm and answer their questions, resulting in a new experience. A nature school’s environment can vary based on its management. Sometimes, a secured environment is chosen for children, and sometimes more natural habitats are preferred, in which case, the necessary measures for children’s safety will be taken.
The classes will be held in nature, parks, jungles, farms, etc., so children can adapt to different conditions and gain the necessary experiences. Moreover, presence in different environments significantly helps the growth and development of children’s abilities and teaches them proper behavior for different environments. The most critical problem you must know about nature schools’ environments is that such schools prepare vital, vivacious, and safe environments for children.Â
Rules And Regulations
Nature schools were built to break the rules that led to an under-experienced generation. Children are free to gain experiences, find answers to their questions, etc. However, nature schools’ rules exist only to help children’s growth and education. For example, sometimes group work rules are set in place so that children are engaged in group works and accustomed to group activities. These schools accept all children from 3 to 13 years old and prepare equal conditions for every one of them.Â
Companionship With Nature Is Children’s Right!!
If we look back to the past, we will see that it is children’s right to enjoy nature and be with nature. Unfortunately, modernization has taken nature away; therefore, the vitality and vivaciousness that existed in the past have been replaced with a lazy and weary generation (Of course, this does not relate to every child, but the present conditions of the society push everyone in this direction). Nature, beyond games and entertainment, is an invaluable teacher for children.
Group games and individual or group brainstorming to find the answers to questions teach children thousands of lessons in the form of safe experiences! There is no place for such activities in the present education system, while principles of humanity and a better life are found right in the heart of those children groups. Undoubtedly, living with nature is children’s right, and we must not deprive them of such an invaluable environment.Â
What Are Children Taught In These Schools?Â
The purposes of nature schools are focused on children’s self-education more than anything else. In other words, by preparing a safe environment, nature schools allow children to have teamwork in different aspects to find answers to different problems through teamwork and counsulting. In this school, children try to find the answers to the questions caused in their minds by different things. On the other hand, teamwork, physical fitness, participating in different environments, using various tools, collective thinking, kids gardening, etc., are problems that are purposefully taught at nature schools so that children can mature in teamwork and learn the necessary skills for the future stages of life.Â
Is Any Particular Book Taught At These Schools?
In nature schools, children learn, but there is no teaching. You may have probably noticed that experience, self-education, and learning from others are some of the most important goals at these schools. Given these conditions, nature schools have no particular books or direct education in their curriculum, and as mentioned before, children will learn everything practically and empirically.
When The Love For Nature And Science Merge With Life!
Science and life are intertwined; to progress, both must grow and develop to achieve the best results. Unfortunately, the present education system has destroyed one of these two sides, so that whoever passes this system will hate science! The biggest mistake of such an education system is introducing theoretical lessons as science. Science is definitely beyond books because any experience is worth more than thousands of books. Nature schools intend to revive this concept in childhood with love towards nature. Gaining experience and science, along with happiness and entertainment, is something that attracts any child.Â
