EXTRAORDINARY SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD

I - Dongzhong Mid-Cave Primary School

The Dongzhong Mid-Cave Primary School is located in a cave in the mountainous Miao village in China. Dongzhong means “in a cave.” The school is in one of China’s poorest areas and receives very little government support. The community started the cave school in 1984 with eight teachers and 186 students when they understood that they didn’t have enough money to build a school building. 23 years after the school opened, the Chinese government decided to close the school. A politician said the change was necessary because China isn’t a “society of cavemen.”

II – Abo Elementary School

Abo Elementary School is the first underground school in the United States. When the Cold War started, the United States came close to nuclear warfare with the Soviet Union. President John F. Kennedy promised that he would build structures that could serve as bomb shelters. The school is completely underground. A playground was built on its roof. The school has three different entrances, each with a steel blast door. Fortunately, Abo Elementary School was never used as a bomb shelter. It was closed in 1995 because it was expensive to keep it going.

III – Brooklyn Free School

Brooklyn Free School caters for students between the ages of 4 and 18. There is no curriculum. Students are free to choose any class they want and they can stay away from school if they wish. The students make the school rules. Some students might decide to play, wander around, or just nap. There are classes such as “The Wire and Urban Studies” where students watch and then discuss the TV show The Wire. In another class, students compare restaurants around the town before going to eat in those restaurants. There are no tests, homework, or grades. If a student wants to, he can call a meeting and discuss ideas with the whole school. According to the principal, the school expects every student to find his or her own way. Many people criticize Brooklyn Free School because they think that they are not taking education seriously.