kitoba
The School
I had made observations of the school throughout my time on Watatu, but it was not until I made my peace with the Watatu worldview that those observations began to make sense. The Watatu school was organized like none I had ever witnessed (save, perhaps, a traditional martial-arts academy). It was, however, a perfect reflection of the Watatu psyche.
The Watatu believe that there are many things in the world that can never be completely understood as a whole. Some of these I had already discussed with Diotima --God, society and individual human beings. I soon learned that there were many others as well.
When faced with such an entity, the Watatu immediately attempt to see it from three contrasting perspectives, which they call the first, second and third principles. The first principle corresponds to the stative and conservative forces, and deals with all aspects of the entity that are stable, static and fundamental. The second principle corresponds to the expressive and outward forces, and covers aspects that are personal, unique and subject to change. The third principle corresponds to the unitive and inward forces, and incorporates relational aspects of all kinds. By recombining these three perspectives, the Watatu attempt to gain a good apprehension of the whole.
Curriculum
Knowledge (according to the Watatu) requires a three-part perspective. Accordingly, their school is filled with many tripartite divisions. Chief among these is the segmentation of the curriculum into the foundation, the canon, and the individion.
The foundational curriculum corresponds to the first principle, and consists of the most basic, irreducible parts of knowledge (particularly those which are prerequisites for higher studies). All early mathematics (such as multiplication and division) are placed here, as well as the fundamental mechanics of reading and writing. In theory, this curriculum is universal, stable, and absolutely unchanging. In practice (according to Diotima)...
“...we need to purge it every few years, or it keeps getting larger. Since all students are required to master it, in its entirety, we try to keep it as small as possible.”
The canonical curriculum corresponds to the second principle, and consists of those examples of human achievement which the teachers agree are of the highest quality. Because of the large number of potential inclusions, this curriculum is further limited to the areas of expertise of specific teachers. The canon evolves slowly, as teachers come and go, and as new works are created.
There is no good word in English to describe the third curriculum, so I have been forced to the coinage “individion”. This is a curriculum created entirely by the personal visions and interests of individual students. This curriculum changes rapidly and inconsistently.
Instruction & Assessment
Instruction and assessment vary greatly according to the type of curriculum. Instruction in the foundation generally takes place in one-on-one pairings, or very small groups, and the teachers use a wide range of individualized methods to convey the information. Assessment of the foundation, in contrast, is quite standardized, and consists of a comprehensive examination for complete mastery and internalization of the information.
Instruction in the canon consists chiefly of lectures, small group discussions and independent study. Assessment here is highly subjective, and relies on the teacher’s satisfaction with the students’ grasp of the material.
There is no formal instruction, as such, in the individion. If students need insight into the material they have chosen, they seek out a teacher or a peer. As part of their studies, however, the students are expected to produce a large output, combining original work with responses to items in the canon and the individion. This output is not assessed, as such, but is subject to critiques from peers and teachers. If the output is considered inferior, students may be required to either defend it, or to make revisions.
Although the three curriculums are generally quite separate, they all combine in the large projects (practical, artistic or academic) that the students occasionally collaborate to produce. These projects usually arise from a particular student’s individion, but are made a success by group knowledge gained from the foundation and the canon.
Population
Although I have used the terms “teacher” and “student,” the population of the Watatu school is more like a continuum that spans the gap from students at one end, to administrators at the other, with teachers in the middle.
When pupils first enter school, they are purely students, and are given a curriculum consisting almost entirely of foundations. When they have mastered a set amount of foundational knowledge (known as the prime foundation), there is a simple graduation ceremony. Henceforward, they are considered capable of instructing others in the prime foundation (which explains why the test for foundational mastery is so stringent). Students generally spend only a short time at this first level, known as rank one.
The students who have achieved the second rank focus chiefly on the canon, (although they also cover some elements from the secondary foundation, and begin spend more time on their individion). Graduation from this rank entails mastery of the secondary foundation, familiarity with the entire canon, and a small amount of production from the individion. Students tend to spend a long time at this rank.
The third rank focuses mainly on the individion, although students may also choose one or more areas in the canon to pursue in depth. Students are also expected to master the tertiary foundation through independent study. Graduation from this rank entails being certified as an expert in one area from the canon plus one area from the individion (as well as mastery of the tertiary foundation). Students who complete the third rank are eligible to be considered junior teachers. In that role, they continue independent studies to increase the breadth and depth of their expertise. If they continue as full-time staff members, they will gain progressively more administrative responsibilities, and potentially reach the position of director.
This arrangement allows for an amazing conservation of human resources. The entire school (with the exception of the first rank) collaborates to instruct new students. As a result, first rank students are able to receive individualized instruction, and to master the prime foundation very quickly. At the other end of the process, most students spend at least two years as junior teachers before leaving the school. Thus, the school is able to maintain a very low student-teacher ratio.
Not only does this make the quality of classroom interactions higher, it also enables teachers to spend time in pursuit of their own educations. In fact, it is not uncommon to see Watatu teachers and administrators participating in classes, or even learning from one of the students.Discipline
I never personally witnessed any discipline problems at Watatu, but I was certain they must exist. When I broached the subject with Diotima, she gave the following reply.
“There are three reasons why our children are so well-behaved. First, because parents on Watatu tend to be strict. Second, because we have enough teachers to pay special attention to problem-causing students. Third, because our knowledge of the three forces lets us assess whether misbehaving students are suffering from a deficiency in one of the forces, and respond appropriately.
“Because of these three factors, our children are rarely malicious. However, they are very mischievous, and play many pranks, to which we have three responses. For common infractions, we have a set code of consequences, which we enforce impartially and consistently. For dangerous infractions, or those affecting a large group of people, we hold a meeting of those affected, and come to a consensus decision. For clever or unusual pranks, the staff invents a clever or unusual punishment. In all cases, we try to ensure that the consequence has a clear and logical connection to the infraction. To do otherwise would make young children believe the world to be an arbitrary and nonsensical place.”Conclusion
Although alien to anything I have ever witnessed in education, the results of the Watatu program are hard to refute. Young children master basic skills earlier, more convincingly, and with more enthusiasm than their counterparts in American schools. By the time they reach the age of ten or eleven, they have already been exposed to some of the highest examples of art, science and other achievements of their society. As they move into their teenage years, they begin to produce work of their own, with a high degree of skill, originality and maturity.
Before reaching the age of eighteen, most students have already spent several years as junior teachers. Although only a few elect to stay on as full-time staff, the experience of teaching forges a bond between the school and its graduates that is never truly broken. In fact, many members of the larger society return repeatedly to the school for brief stints as teachers or students.
As a group, the Watatu graduates impressed me with their independence of mind, depth of social concern, and general nobility of character. In short, the school seemed to do an admirable job preparing students to pursue the Watatu mission of being full-throated individuals, integrated members of society, and praiseworthy children of God.
I was also impressed by the adaptability of Watatu educational methods. There is little about them that could apply only to Watatu Island. In fact, they could easily be revised for use in American schools. The chief barrier to importing such methods is that they form a unified, self-supporting whole. Although such a structure requires few resources once created, it is difficult to create from the ground up, and ineffective in a piecemeal form. However, if the idea attracts persons with enthusiasm, dedication and access to resources, there is no reason Watatu education should not flourish on these hospitable shores.
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5/14/07