It's A Bright Green World

How far are you willing to travel to give your child a holistic education? KIRAN MEHTA takes a walk through Green School Bali, a private, non-profit, international school that teaches kids to build a better world.

In the midst of a jungle offUbud, along the banks of the gurgling Ayung River, a gong reverberates through the air. It’s not a call for prayer from a Buddhist monastery; it is, instead, a signal for children to walk to their classrooms in Green School Bali.

The all-bamboo classrooms come with no walls, no barriers from the surrounding green, even as the rays of the sun stream through the tall trees and light up the room.

They are equipped with curious wicker blackboards and bamboo desks. There are no sidewalks or paved walkways between one room and the next; just volcanic rocks that have been smoothed out by the wear and tear of little feet. As kids walk the wide swathes of the school, they hear the moos of the school cow, spot the elusive, black swayback pigs, and stroll through green fields that dish out organic fare for lunch. But it’s the classrooms that will rile up your imagination, with some resembling American Indian teepees, others looking like medieval bell towers, and still others reminiscent of space ships.