A School Where Fairies Are Real

There is a school in Bali where a child is allowed to imagine.

“Come fairies, take me out of this dull world. For I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.”

― W.B. Yeats, The Land of Heart’s Desire

On Useful Fairies

When we were little we believed in anything and everything.

We created and imagined, explored and discovered. Dragons roamed our bedrooms, our magic wands would protect us. Rainy days brought rivers of adventure, the night brought images of strange and weird worlds.

Elves and fairies lived in our gardens.

Where did it all go?

In Bali you will find a school made of bamboo setback in the jungle. If you wander down the northern path past at Green School and then turn left at the fork, you will find a little house that sits inconspicuously in front of a classroom.

It’s easy to miss, standing only two meters high tucked behind some foliage.

A few years ago a grade 1 teacher was leading the students in a thematics class about Useful Fairies. The thematic used fairies as a vehicle to show how children can help and affect the environment. There were fairies that picked up trash, cleaned rivers, helped others and did many useful things.

One day a student asked the teacher:

“Can we build a fairy house?”

If this were a normal school the teacher would have reviewed the timetable and replied, “What a lovely suggestion. I don’t think we have time but you can draw a picture at home and then we can look at them tomorrow.”

But this was a different school where fairies and magic are real.

Honoring Imagination

The teacher gave a call the head of the bamboo designs for the school. She said she would be happy to help out and came over the next day.

She gathered the class for a design session on the fairy house. There were 17 children and 85 ideas. She patiently took ideas from each child and came back the next day with the design.

A week later, with a team of local Balinese artisans, they started to build the house with the children. Within a week they had built the house which was remarkably two levels (only for little people), had a window and a small pond just outside the front door.

This can be simply taken as a quaint story about a teacher with a group of first graders filling their time.

Yet, it was more.

The children had a teacher who listened to them and honored their imagination.

She brought in other adults with skills to share with the children.

These little ones designed, planned and built a house. If you ask any of those kids today whether they have built a house they will all say, “Yes.”

How many of us can say we have built a house?

Destroyers of Magic

This type of learning is where the magic happens.

Children are engaged and involved, interested and feeling ownership. Most importantly they had fun while learning.

Why do we lose this simple approach to learning and engagement?

Part of it is the education system with its timetables, rigidity, lack of creativity, testing and grades.

And as we become older we get jaded and we hear too often, “That’s not a good idea” or “Don’t think like that.”

We, adults, are the destroyers of magic.

Fairies and magic are real. And if you don’t believe me then ask your kids. Or take a wander down that path in Bali.

If you go there at night you may see a light shining through the window.

You may hear voices coming from within the miniature house.

“Man na-eth tar?” whispers an elvish voice.

Believe.

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