歡迎來到空靈女神Tilda Swinton的另類教育國度 - HOKK fabrica

歡迎來到空靈女神Tilda Swinton的另類教育國度

HF Crewon July 7, 2015 at 7:00 am

Tilda Swinton的空靈美人人皆知,她美得彷彿不屬於凡間。除了是一位出色的演員之外,你知道她還是一位思想前衛的教育家嗎?在她兩年前在蘇格蘭高原所建立的學校裡,學生不用考試和測驗,他們每天上學,就是跟隨他們的興趣而學習──興建木筏、鑄造小刀、烹飪焦糖洋蔥等等。對,你沒有聽錯,歡迎來到Tilda Swinton的另類教育國度。

There’s no grading, no testing at all. My children are now 17, and they will go through this school without any tests at any time, so it’s incredibly art-based, practical learning. For example, they learn their science by building a Canadian canoe, or making a knife, or caramelising onions. And they’re all happy 17-year-olds. I can’t believe it – happy and inspired.

—Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton與年幼時的子女留影,她所誕下的龍鳳胎跟她有著一樣的空靈眼睛。
Tilda Swinton與年幼時的子女留影,她所誕下的龍鳳胎跟她有著一樣的空靈眼睛。

育有兩名17歲的子女的Tilda Swinton 不相信主流的教育制度,當子女還小的時候就已經送他們到採用「華德福教育」(Waldorf Education)的Moray Steiner School讀書。所謂「華德福教育」,即是一套由哲學家Rudolf Steiner所提倡的人性化教育方法,強調學習過程中的想像力,還有將價值觀融合於學術、實踐和藝術的追求。可惜,Moray Steiner School 並不提供高中課程,學生到了14歲就要畢業。為了讓子女能夠在繼續在著重創意發展和學習自主的氣氛下學習,Tilda Swinton和另一位Moray Steiner School的家長好友就一同設立了一所另類高中──Drumduan Upper School

蘇格蘭另類高中Drumduan Upper School的創辦人Ian Sutherland McCook(左)和Tilda Swinton(中),還有高中的高級教師Krzysztof Zajaczkowski。
蘇格蘭另類高中Drumduan Upper School的創辦人Ian Sutherland McCook(左)和Tilda Swinton(中),還有高中的高級教師Krzysztof Zajaczkowski。

建校兩年,這所另類高中目前只有17位學生,但師生間關係融合。當香港的高中生一星期七天正為到公開考試而進行地獄式的試卷操練時,著重實踐、藝術發展和學習自主的Drumduan卻安排學生一星期只需要上四天課,逢星期五則跟老師一同走出課室學習,到高原中寫生,到農場採摘蜂蜜,或到野外舉行營火會。 沒有考試,亦沒有測驗,Drumduan鼓勵學生為自己建立Portfolio,將自己的學習過程和感受記下。目前所有申請過大學的Drumduan學生,都成功以個人Portfolio為其爭取大學學位。

4-tilda-swinton-alternative-education 5-tilda-swinton-alternative-education

你也許會質疑,這類的教育究竟有沒有用,習慣了在「零壓力」的環境中成長的學生,日後豈不是更難適應這個充滿競爭力的現實?雖然這點有待證實,但去年九月Drumduan接受蘇格蘭教育局評估的時候,教育局出乎主流教育支持者的意料,給了Drumduan高度的評價:

Young people really benefit from, and are highly motivated by this personalised approach to learning. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum which meets the needs of individual young people very well. Young people are achieving very well in traditional academic subjects such as science, mathematics, English and Spanish.

In addition, they are acquiring a variety of practical skills for life and work, such as cooking, film-making, boat-building and surveying. As part of the planned curriculum, young people carry out work experience in the community, and get involved in a variety of community-based projects.

The school has a strong commitment to providing opportunities for all young people to develop their creative and aesthetic talents through physical, dramatic, musical and artistic activities.

—School Inspection Report of Drumduan by Education Scotland, Sept. 2014

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不少人曾經懷疑過,究竟我們讀書十幾年,到頭來是為了甚麼?我們在學校所學習的,真的對我們日後的人生有幫助嗎?Tilda Swinton正是和志同道合的教育家探討這個問題,雖然未知道Drumduan是否讓他們找到了答案,但對於下一代的教育,他們發現了主流教育以外的另一種可能性。

What is the true purpose of our education system? Why do we sit at desks for much of the day at school for over ten years? Are we teaching our pupils the life skills they need? We ourselves are the product of a post-industrial model of education, so it’s not easy to imagine an alternative to this mind-set.

Yet, if we continue to inquire, we begin to find answers. At Drumduan we are living with these questions and implementing many of the answers, with passion and with practicality. The emergent future and the health of society will be defined and shaped by the very same young people who come looking for their answers at our schools.

 

— Krzysztof Zajaczkowski, Principle Teacher, Drumduan Upper School

TEXT: FLORIELLE
DESIGN: CYAN F/HOKK FABRICA

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