Dubbed the “most beautiful elementary school in Taiwan” and “the nation’s first public forest education facility,” Sibao’s list of honors could fill an entire page and more. But as recently as a decade ago, the school’s situation was nowhere near as enviable as it is today.
As implied by its name Sibao, which means “remote mountains” in the indigenous Truku language, the school is situated well off the beaten path deep within the park’s borders in Hualien County. Its origins date back to the early 1960s when hundreds of former servicemen participated in the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway. In order to meet the educational needs of the ex-soldiers’ children, Sibao was established as a branch of Fushi Primary School in 1963. Its population waxed and waned during the highway’s construction, with more than 200 students at its peak and only nine at its lowest point. For decades after the highway’s completion, the school was on the verge of closing its doors.
Sibao’s fortunes took a turn for the better in 1994, when its students won first prize at Taiwan’s World Children’s Painting Exhibition. The honor drew media attention and finally brought local education officials to come see this long forgotten place.
The rediscovery of the school occurred at a time of heightened calls for educational reform around the island. Following the government’s decision to end the practice of using a standardized curriculum, Sibao was selected to be in the vanguard of its revamping drive in Hualien. Consequently, the school was upgraded to an independent experimental facility in 1997.
Tasked with the mission of transforming Sibao, Huang Ching-mao, a fine arts devotee and progressive educator, had no idea what awaited him. Travelling 170 kilometers to get to the school, the new principal said he was “brought to the verge of tears” by what he saw. “There were shabby classrooms, broken windows, and dried oil paint spread over the floor. But the classrooms in use were neat, and there were beautiful plants all around,” he recalled. Huang, now the director of Hualien Creative Learning Center, admitted he took over Sibao unwillingly, but ended up staying for the next eight years.
Huang’s goal from the beginning was to make Sibao into “a school that feels like home.” Collaboration with National Taiwan University’s Graduate Institute of Building and Planning and D.Z. Architects and Associates produced an unconventional learning environment. The end result was an open courtyard-style campus surrounded by a chain of hexagonal structures. The roofs’ crests were designed to blend in with the mountains. Inside, the rooms were functionally divided but not isolated. The design won an Architecture of the Year Award from Taiwan’s Architect magazine in 2003 and was a finalist for the 2004 Far East Architecture Award.
Huang also changed Sibao’s focus to a more humanistic education that emphasized the overall development of the individual. The philosophy is exemplified in the school’s “topical research” program, under which younger students are taught basic life skills, third- and fourth-graders learn about the local community’s culture and economic activities, and older students study the geology and history of Taroko National Park.
“Here, living is learning, and anything can be a subject for teaching,” said Jack Chang, Sibao’s current principal. For example, neighboring farmers are sometimes invited to give lessons on vegetable and fruit farming. And the school’s jack-of-all-trades, Wang Jin-rong, a member of the Truku tribe famous for its shooting skills, coaches the archery team using bows and arrows he crafts himself.
Currently, about one-third of the students are aboriginal or descendants of the veterans who came to the area half a century ago, while the rest are from the majority Han Chinese ethnic group. By studying and living together five days a week, the students learn to appreciate other cultures and respect one another’s differences, according to Chang.
For Yang Chen-huei, a lecturer at Tzu Chi College of Technology, Sibao’s emphasis on independent thinking and respect for individuality convinced her that placing her two boys there was the right decision. “I sent my son Si-wei when he was in Grade 2. Every time he came home, he surprised me in some way. Instead of asking questions, he began seeking the answers himself, and he would offer to help rather than waiting to be asked,” she said. Soon after, Yang decided to also enroll her other son Yu-wei.
She pointed out that Sibao’s “family” system that mixes students of all six grades together and divides them into eight “families” has helped bring out Yu-wei’s caring side and leadership qualities. “He used to be introverted, but being needed by the younger ones boosted his confidence and strengthened his sense of responsibility,” she said.
Yang has every reason to be proud. One morning in February, while the other students were outside for recess, Yu-wei was busy making phone calls to Taiwan’s outlying Orchid Island. He was confirming arrangements for an upcoming “travel week” tour by Sibao’s fifth- and sixth-graders. At the age of 11, the poise and articulation he demonstrated during the phone conversations was impressive.
“Travel week” is another of Sibao’s programs aimed at fostering the well-rounded development of students. “It’s about seeing different ways of life and broadening the children’s perspective,” Chang explained. “Living in remote mountains doesn’t mean you need to be isolated.”
Every spring the students get together to decide on a travel destination for the activity and plan out the itinerary as a group. “The teachers only act as advisors. It’s the kids who put the whole package together,” Chang said, pointing out that the unique project is a great opportunity for the children to develop problem-solving skills.
For faculty members at Sibao, while the school’s distinctive characteristics set it apart from others, the real difference is the love teachers display for their profession and students. This not only makes for happy students, but also creates a welcoming environment in which pupils from diverse socio-economic backgrounds can thrive.
Chen Mei-ling, the school’s residential advisor, explained that she often had to fight back tears when listening to the children’s stories. “A lot of our students are from broken families and are being raised by their grandparents,” she said. “Some arrive with broken hearts, but we give them so much love that these are soon mended.”
A fourth grader who transferred to Sibao from Taipei City earlier this year waxed lyrical about the school and his new surrounds. “It’s much nicer and warmer here,” he said. “I haven’t felt homesick since my first day.” Forced to move to Hualien and live with his grandparents following the death of his father, the area’s stunning natural environment helped him overcome his grief. “Would you believe it if I told you there are frogs and monkeys in Sibao?” the boy asked. “I’ll never go back to living in the big city again.”
And who would not want to stay? As the lyrics of the school song describe: “Walking into Taroko Gorge, I hear the Liwu River gurgling by. Flowers are in bloom and birds are chirping. Here, the kids are laughing with joy. Swings, slides and seesaws. Sibao is such a fun place.” The tune, a collective work by the students, says it all.
Write to Ellen Ko at ellenko@mail.gio.gov.tw