Cornerstone -1-
Home-schooling Co-operative; Nature (Forest) School, After-school Care
(With an emphasis on giving a Human Values based education)
- Start Nursery with a small number of 2-5 year-olds
- Start after-school care project with 4+ year-olds (and up to 16- year-olds)
- Gradually grow into a (Home-schooling) school co-operative with lessons tailored to the individual child, making use of Montessori and Steiner teaching materials. Hold lessons outside in Nature as often as possible (Forest Schooling)
- Set up school garden (each child with their own small plot)
- Build meditation garden
- Start Pet-Corner (each child can ‘adopt’ a pet to learn how to take care of and responsibility for it (starting with rabbits or gerbils and gradually moving on to ponies and horses)
- Build extensive playgrounds for various age groups
- Attract local teachers for: Gaelic lessons; Scottish Country Dancing; Scottish musical instruments (such as the Pipes, the Fiddle and the Harp)
- Attract teachers for Art, Dance, Drama and Singing (from anywhere)
- Teach cottage crafts, such as spinning, weaving, knitting and carpet making (with wool from the animals)
- Build Sense Gardens:
A Tactile Garden
A Smell Garden.
More about Cornerstone 1: SCHOOL
The main goal that we are working towards at Culdees is the creation of a Home-Schooling Co-operative focusing on providing an education based on Human Values. We consider the main human values to be Truth, Love, Peace, Non-violence and Right Conduct.
By encouraging the human values aspect of education, it means that as well giving attention to the academic (head) aspects of education, the co-operative is able to provide for the character and moral (heart) aspects too. This goal comes as a result of our feeling that there are some areas lacking in the conventional school system. Having been exposed to many individuals and groups of like mind, we are encouraged with this vision for the future of education. We do, however, like to stay focused on the maxim that ‘ours is not the only way, it is simply another way’.
We will also introduce a ‘Buddy system’ so that no child is left out.
One of the options open to us is a hybrid system based on work of Montessori, Steiner and Forest Schooling. Steiner and Montessori schools are often situated in city areas. It is most likely that there will be a combination of these approaches, making use of their specific teaching materials.
Our plan is to select building plots and invite parents with small children who satisfy the Culdees ethos/criteria to apply to acquire such a plot. (This could be through a Housing Co-operative arrangement that we aspire to set up). The parents build their eco-house, and their children attend the school, where there are trained teachers to assist the parents who ‘home-school’ their children.
The parents can set up a rota system for themselves so that officially, they can satisfy the criteria set by the Government for home-schooling. We have already acquired a Portacabin to start the school in. In due course we will raise funds for a larger, permanent building. Once this structure is functioning well, we would invite those same parents to become foster parents to other children who may be in need of good parental guidance. For those children, this would ease the transition into the school.
Other target groups that we have in mind are mentally disabled children like those suffering from Downs Syndrome. Physically disabled children are also a target group to work with. It is thought that out of every 10 children, there will be a mix of children from well functioning homes and those from so called deprived or dysfunctional homes.
We envisage creating a Cottage Industrious Estate, where the children take part in activities as part of their curriculum.
We aim to teach the children to differentiate between being an active participant in their future: a creator; a producer, or a mere consumer.
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