The Floating School

    Life on the islands can feel a bit isolated due to a lack of electricity and internet connectivity.

    Although some of the islands have primary schools, most young people must travel to the larger islands or to the mainland to attend high school. Schools on the islands follow the curriculum (课程). They don't teach subjects such as maritime skills, swimming or local fishing traditions, and so the curriculum isn't always with students' everyday life.

    So, we the Floating School after winning funding through a US State Department grant competition called Seeds for the Future. Before we started the school, we spoke with young people, community leaders and teachers on the islands to find out the topics young people are most interested in. We also learned about the various of students and young people who don't go to school. Thus, we our own non-formal educational programme that fits with the context of life on the islands. For example, those working in fishing have responsibility the marine life, so we teach environmental protection and discourage destructive fishing practices.

    The Floating School is a wooden boat that can up to twenty people and it goes to the students, not the other way around -- we use it to transport educational materials, tools, and teachers to young people living on the islands. Our teachers are local young — so far we have had journalists, photographers, computer engineers and musicians — and students who want to their skills.

    At first, many of the young people thought the Floating School would be the same as their schools on the islands. They had thought of the teachers to be . But our students learn through art, media and literature. They don't have to wear uniforms or shoes, and the teachers treat the students as equals, without judging them. This means our students can be themselves.