Gamot Cogon: An Education System for all Filipinos

Written by Gwyneth Liew

Pictures by Joyce Ng & Gamot Cogon Institute
            

     With a student population of 50:50 in terms of middle income versus lower income groups, the Gamot Cogon Institution is one of the few schools in the Waldorf education system offering education to children from lower income families. Also formally known as the Steiner education system, it endorses holistic education with an innovative method that acts as an alternative to mainstream education. Although it is registered as a private school with the Philippines Department of Education, it’s run as a non-profit and non-sectarian institution. It was established in the year 2005 with a start-up number of four students in a third grade classroom. Since then, new classes up till year 10 in high school have been added to the system, with a total student population of 168 students to date.

       The land on which the school stands was donated by the founders of the school who were also parents of one of the very first students. It is surrounded by creeks and is an open area full of bamboo, trees and grass. In short, it is a natural setting which encourages the children to connect with Mother Nature even in the school's curriculum. The curriculum consists of classes which are taught by engaging the whole child’s psyche, which includes their thoughts and feelings as well as their willingness to learn. Examples of such classes are painting, music, and games. Although it is an innovative teaching system, the school also abides by government rules and regulations by including mandatory subjects like English, Filipino and Mathematics.

Paddy fields which are outside the school grounds.

     We spoke to Miss Tess, who is a parent volunteer currently working in the administrative department. She explained to us that the classes are split into two sessions starting with a main session, followed by two extra classes which are basically reviews of the main subject. They focus on one main subject for three weeks before moving on to another subject for the next three weeks. They also have special classes which consist of subjects like Arts, Music, Crafts and many more. In that sense, they are more intent on letting the children focus on one subject at a time so as to ensure comprehensive learning. The staff members who work there also undergo a long process of observation and training in the Waldorf teaching program before becoming an official staff member.  

This is where we conducted our interview with Miss Tess

Our Group Photo with Miss Tess

      As the system focuses on the student’s personal goals and comprehensive learning, the students’ learning progress is assessed by competency sets instead of examinations. Although they rarely sit for examinations, the students will eventually encounter homework and assignments when they enter Grade 4 or 5. The examinations that they sit for act mainly as guides for the teachers to assess each student’s weaknesses and strong points in a particular subject as well as to figure out which aspects of the lesson need to be further clarified for thorough understanding. It is interesting to note that the teachers start with one class of students and are expected to play the role of their main teachers until their graduation from the school. However, there are also specialty teachers who focus on teaching specific subjects, and who don’t have the same set of students for more than a year. The students are usually classified according to age while their progression into upper grades is also based on their age groups.

     After the interview, Miss Tess showed us around the school grounds for a short tour. We met Mr. Warren Slater, who is a teacher passionate about the Asian way of living. He has worked in the school for six years since 2008. Prior to his move to the Philippines, he was teaching in Bangkok when he met his wife to be, who is Filipino. She also teaches in the school. When we walked past the classrooms, we witnessed the student’s affection towards their teachers. I personally took it as a symbol of the strong relations between the teachers and their students, which can be quite rare in traditional schooling systems.

Examples of how the classrooms look like. Don’t they look like vacation villas?

Examples of House Projects built by students.

From Up to Down: Front View & Side View

     To conclude, my visit to the Gamot Cogon Institute was nothing short of an eye opener. In that place, I saw a bright future. I saw smiling, happy and wonderful children growing up to be pioneers of the world. I also saw a different path for the urban poor as more and more children would be given access to formal education. In short, I saw hope for the future of these children with their intelligence and awareness being blessings to the rest of the world.

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Gwyn is currently a second year university student who has embarked on a journey of selling insurance to achieve her financial freedom by her graduation in the year 2014. Her ultimate goal is to be an influential writer and to share her knowledge on self awareness for the enlightenment of all.