News
Living school: the first cohort wraps up its term
5/4/2026 · by National community
12 children, 4 adult mentors, a curriculum tied to the living world: review of three months of full-scale living school. Lessons, surprises, and scaling up.
The intent
The living school is not just another alternative school. It is designed as the inter-generational transmission organ of a resilient village: children learn to read, count, reason, but also to garden, cook, care, build, welcome. The living world is not a theme: it is the field.
Practical start
In February 2026, the first cohort of 12 children (ages 6 to 11) began at a pilot site, with four rotating adult mentors: a teacher, a market gardener, a nurse, a carpenter. Weeks alternate fundamentals mornings (reading, math, sciences) and field afternoons (garden, workshop, animal care, cooking).
Early results
After one term, indicators are encouraging: 100% attendance, stable or improving reading levels on standard assessments, and above all an unexpected level of autonomy in the youngest (table setting, hen care, materials tidied). Three families have asked to enroll a younger sibling for the September intake.
Scaling up
The model now needs to be finely documented (family agreement, legal status, curriculum, adult recruitment) to be duplicated elsewhere. A complete guide is being written and will be published in autumn 2026. The structuring principles are already presented on the transmission living-school page.
Sources and methodology
This article relies on measured field data, interviews, and public references. The method is made traceable so every figure and statement can be verified or replicated.
Methodology: direct observations on the pilot site, cross-checked against the monthly reviews of the authoring team and discussions with relevant local coordinators. Any factual correction can be reported via the contact page.