ZARRAGA, Iloilo ? Right at the heart of a distant barangay (village), whose name literally means ?a thousand cogon grasses,? may not exactly be the best location for a school. The town itself is remote ? Zarraga is about 20 kilometers north of Iloilo City ? and Barangay Libongcogon is a further five kilometers from the town center.

But the distance has not discouraged parents from sending their children to the Gamot Cogon School (GCS) that prides itself on its holistic educational approach. The innovative Steiner-inspired Waldorf school has seen its student population grow from four when it opened in 2005 to more than 120 students from kindergarten to class 7 last schoolyear.

Its name, the school?s founders explain, aims to counteract that negative Filipino attitude of ?ningas cogon? that loosely translates to the lack of persistence in doing anything after an initial show of enthusiasm.

More than the distance, it is GCS? reputation of being an ?all-play no-study school? that has stoked doubts among conservative parents who?d rather that their children learn advanced math at an early age and speak English starting in kindergarten.

This usual expectation does not worry Rowena, who has a seven-year-old daughter in GCS. ?I believe in the school?s philosophy of respecting the children?s right to play because this prepares them emotionally for the challenges they would encounter as they grow older,? she says.? I also believe that young children should not be forced to speak English when they are not yet ready for it. They need time to master their local language and enrich their vocabulary so they would not lose their facility with the mother tongue once they learn other languages,? she adds.

James Sharman, the school?s co-founder and director, says GCS? policy of allowing children to use their native language in kindergarten ?creates a home-like environment that prepares the way for more formal learning in Grade 1.?

Kindergarten classes in GCS focus on free play, where boys and girls learn fine and gross motor skills, socialization, responsibility and the beginnings of math, language and science integrated through storytelling, songs and verses, painting, arts and crafts like finger knitting and clay work, baking, and tidying up toys and utensils after games and snacks.

At least once a week, when it does not rain, the children go on nature walks in the fields and river banks, and go home with stones of various colors, sizes and textures, as well as stories of what they saw.

Australia-based Waldorf teacher Benjamin Cherry says this curriculum is a holistic integration of the intellectual, emotional and physical aspects of the child?s development. The knack is to strike a harmony between these critical aspects to help the child become a well-balanced individual. For instance, Class 3 children learn functional science and math by planting vegetables and selling their produce in the market. Geography starts in Class 4 and history in Class 5.

The broad range of interesting things to do in school supports another of GCS? unusual policies ? no television or computer games.

Citing several studies, the school says that children not given to television viewing and computer games are more physically active and able to interact better with their families and peers. Behavior problems such as rough play and early sexual awareness among children have also been attributed to too much TV exposure. The same studies also note that children who get exhausted from playing active physical games rather than spending hours in front of television and computers are able to sleep earlier, get more rest and wake up more refreshed.

Implementing the no-tv-and-computer policy successfully, however, is a continuing challenge discussed during regular parent-teacher meetings.

Most families still struggle with the question of totally banning television at home. ?It?s still a work in progress, but at least we have minimized their exposure especially to lewd and violent noontime and early evening shows,? says one mother.

Sharman also encourages parents to support each other, ?So that when their children are visiting their classmates for instance, parents are assured that the children are safe from unhealthy influences like TV, junk food and inappropriate conversation.? He adds: ?It is an ongoing effort to work with the parents to ensure that the education we offer is properly supported at home. After all, we are working in partnership with the parents.?

The Gamot Cogon School was initially intended to serve the elementary education needs of children from farm families in the community, but its novel approach has attracted parents from the city who feel that they have found the ?right? place for their children.

Presently, the student population enjoys a healthy diversity of children from poor, middle and high income groups. Fees are based on each family?s capacity to pay, since the children are from homes whose breadwinners are doctors, NGO workers, carpenters, teachers, tricycle drivers, artists, farmers, business persons or overseas workers.

Still, the social divide manifests in daily situations. ?Some children are not able to practice writing at home because their parents cannot afford to buy writing paper,? Class 1 teacher Christie Casugbo notes.

But by educating families on nutrition and simple home-cooked foods that nourish the body, the school tries to reduce the children?s daily expenses on food. Simple snacks like ripe banana and papaya, fresh pineapple, puto and pandesal are recommended merienda rather than the more expensive but less healthy burgers, french fries, junk foods and artificial juices. GCS also provides all school materials that the children need in the classroom, from paper to art supplies and recorders for music.

School administrators say that the school still has a lot of room for improvement, among them better facilities and higher salaries for its teachers who are paid less than their counterparts in public schools. But these are part of the school?s growing pains. Right now, they?re hoping that the private sector can act as midwife and help them deliver quality education even in this far-off barrio. Women?s Feature Service

Check out the school?s website (www.gamotcogon.org) for questions and donations.