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Quiet please, learning in progress

An ancient philosophy and traditional teaching styles are shaping modern students, writes Claire Halliday.

LISTENING to Hannah Irvine speak is an odd mix of the articulate confidence of an adult mingled with an earnest sense of childlike wonder.

Hannah, 12, is clearly unafraid to speak her mind, yet the confidence comes with a dose of dutiful deference to her place as a child who is in the company of adults.

She started 2006 as a year 7 student at St Michael's Grammar in St Kilda. Her unique character, her mother Catherine Irvine believes, is attributable to primary education received at Hawthorn's Erasmus School.

Erasmus is part of a worldwide organisation of schools providing teachings grounded in an ancient Indian philosophy called Advaita. The school tries to show individuals that they have untapped potential and that there is unity between everything and everyone.

"Every subject relates back to those core beliefs," Ms Irvine says. "Hannah's her own person and is not so easily swayed by peer issues and she is very enthusiastic and keen to participate. There is nothing holding her back."

With a curriculum inspired by classical works of art, music and literature, the 100 Erasmus students between prep and grade 6 are taught about Shakespeare, renaissance artists and Latin. It encourages them to learn about past greatness rather than focus purely on a "here and now" contemporary curriculum.

From Hannah's perspective, the educational experience of old-fashioned values and teaching methods - teachers stand before the class at a blackboard and students sit at individual desks - combined with a spiritual rather than religious focus, has helped her become a diligent student.

"It is a different way of teaching. Now, at St Michael's I find that I concentrate really well compared to some of the other children. At Erasmus we had meditation and we paused before the end of class and at the start of class - every class. It has helped me stay focused on what I need to do," she says.

For her mother, the philosophy component was the deciding factor in selecting Erasmus for the primary education of all three of her children. But Ms Irvine says a return to old-school values was also an attraction.

"The children are not allowed to speak in class when the teacher is speaking. Concentrating becomes a natural habit. When you are in class you sit and you listen and you attend," she says. "One thing we also noticed with Hannah going into year 7 was that she was already used to timetables and going to different rooms for different classes. That can be quite daunting for other kids."

Although hesitant to compare Erasmus to mainstream educational institutions, Ms Irvine says "it suited us, so for us it was better".

Students also help prepare their hot meals, which adds to the richness of the school experience, she believes.

Like many other parents at the school, Ms Irvine spends one day a week volunteering her services in the kitchen and communal dining hall - a duty that can be offset against the private school fees that an Erasmus education requires.

For Ms Irvine, the work gives the school community a closeness that sets it apart.

"When you work with people on a weekly basis you get to share more and talk about family life. Working together is entirely different than going for coffee now and then. You actually become quite close," she says.

Erasmus headmaster Jonathan Tickner says the school's traditional teaching methods involve an emphasis on order and structure, with subjects such as spelling, history, geography and maths being taught separately, rather than today's tendency to roll many aspects of study into one unidentified class.

The students are also taught Sanskrit - a language that the headmaster describes as "almost scientifically perfect" in its grammar and one that gives the students a solid grounding in any language studies that may follow.

But for Jacqi Deighan, mother of Niamh, 10, and Conor, 7, it is the one part of her children's school experience that she can't truly connect with. "I find it difficult to help with that, although the recitations do sound beautiful," she says. "I have always thought that any form of language is a great thing."

The strong discipline the school offers also appealed to Ms Deighan.

It's a discipline that Mr Tickner says encourages a mutual respect between student and teacher.

"It is not about beatings and being seen and not heard," he says. "A child stands when an adult comes into the room but there is a lot of happiness within that relationship. Children like and feel comfortable with clear boundaries.

"So long as discipline is delivered with love, patience and forgiveness - then you have a very healthy relationship."
Although hesitant to compare Erasmus to mainstream educational institutions, Ms Irvine says "it suited us, so for us it was better".

Students also help prepare their hot meals, which adds to the richness of the school experience, she believes.

Like many other parents at the school, Ms Irvine spends one day a week volunteering her services in the kitchen and communal dining hall - a duty that can be offset against the private school fees that an Erasmus education requires.

For Ms Irvine, the work gives the school community a closeness that sets it apart.

"When you work with people on a weekly basis you get to share more and talk about family life. Working together is entirely different than going for coffee now and then. You actually become quite close," she says.

Erasmus headmaster Jonathan Tickner says the school's traditional teaching methods involve an emphasis on order and structure, with subjects such as spelling, history, geography and maths being taught separately, rather than today's tendency to roll many aspects of study into one unidentified class.

The students are also taught Sanskrit - a language that the headmaster describes as "almost scientifically perfect" in its grammar and one that gives the students a solid grounding in any language studies that may follow.

But for Jacqi Deighan, mother of Niamh, 10, and Conor, 7, it is the one part of her children's school experience that she can't truly connect with. "I find it difficult to help with that, although the recitations do sound beautiful," she says. "I have always thought that any form of language is a great thing."

The strong discipline the school offers also appealed to Ms Deighan.

It's a discipline that Mr Tickner says encourages a mutual respect between student and teacher.

"It is not about beatings and being seen and not heard," he says. "A child stands when an adult comes into the room but there is a lot of happiness within that relationship. Children like and feel comfortable with clear boundaries.

"So long as discipline is delivered with love, patience and forgiveness - then you have a very healthy relationship."

Her unique character, her mother Catherine Irvine believes, is attributable to primary education received at Hawthorn's Erasmus School.

Erasmus is part of a worldwide organisation of schools providing teachings grounded in an ancient Indian philosophy called Advaita.

"Every subject relates back to those core beliefs," Ms Irvine says. "Hannah's her own person and is not so easily swayed by peer issues and she is very enthusiastic and keen to participate. There is nothing holding her back."

With a curriculum inspired by classical works of art, music and literature, the 100 Erasmus students between prep and grade 6 are taught about Shakespeare, renaissance artists and Latin. It encourages them to learn about past greatness rather than focus purely on a "here and now" contemporary curriculum.

From Hannah's perspective, the educational experience of old-fashioned values and teaching methods - teachers stand before the class at a blackboard and students sit at individual desks - combined with a spiritual rather than religious focus, has helped her become a diligent student.

For her mother, the philosophy component was the deciding factor in selecting Erasmus for the primary education of all three of her children. But Ms Irvine says a return to old-school values was also an attraction

Erasmus headmaster Jonathan Tickner says the school's traditional teaching methods involve an emphasis on order and structure, with subjects such as spelling, history, geography and maths being taught separately, rather than today's tendency to roll many aspects of study into one unidentified class.

The students are also taught Sanskrit - a language that the headmaster describes as "almost scientifically perfect" in its grammar and one that gives the students a solid grounding in any language studies that may follow.

It's a discipline that Mr Tickner says encourages a mutual respect between student and teacher.

"So long as discipline is delivered with love, patience and forgiveness - then you have a very healthy relationship."

Quote:
Erasmus headmaster Jonathan Tickner says the school's traditional teaching methods involve an emphasis on order and structure, with subjects such as spelling, history, geography and maths being taught separately, rather than today's tendency to roll many aspects of study into one unidentified class.



Again, evidence for this "tendency" is what?

Free wrote:Wonder if Claire Halliday takes evening philosophy classes?