She is going to teach the children both language and mathematics in the field: she has established a classroom in the schoolyard.

The field class with J.Basanavičius Progymnasium was inaugurated just a few days ago. However, the lessons are already taking place here, this space has also been used for the parent meeting; Due to the pandemic, their teachers cannot be invited into the school and it would be cold on the bench in the courtyard.

Thought long ago, implemented over the years.

According to Ramūnas Markovas, a member of the parents’ committee of this school, who once studied here and brought their children to him, this idea became a reality thanks to all the joint efforts.

“Remember, when we were children ourselves, and here in the progymnasium, children under 14 are studying, so what was more interesting: studying in the classroom or in a completely transparent dome outside overlooking a large oak tree? I told the children during the opening of the outdoor classroom that they should rejoice every day because we did not have that opportunity. We couldn’t even climb on the grass because it was forbidden.

This idea came about because the children and the school community matured the idea a long time ago before I, as a member of the community, encouraged myself to do so. Last spring we decided to do it, we plan to do it faster, but the pandemic didn’t really contribute to the speed, “said R. Markov.

He says he has heard the promise of the progymnasium director to use the classroom from morning to night, and in the afternoons the student council, the school council and perhaps the teachers council will be able to elect here. Also for parent meetings.

“It just came to our knowledge then. It was a language lesson, a mixture of Lithuanian, English and French through poetry.

It is not a gazebo, it is a completely enclosed, weather-resistant class with an air-to-air heating and ventilation system. Therefore, it is planned that the class will be used throughout the year until -15 degrees, always in summer. There is electricity, I bought those chairs that I would like to have, I can swing in them.

For the first time, I have seen custom chairs with tables, where the table is moved to the right or left side with a turn of the hand, so that it is comfortable for both left and right handed people, ”R. Markov said.

I hope there is motivation

Jurgita Nemanienė, director of J.Basanavičius Progymnasium, did not hide her belief that the outdoor class will be one of the motivating means to learn in other spaces, under the vault, sitting as if outside, but in the heat. Under different conditions that reveal different possibilities.

“It just came to our notice then. It’s a long enough project, it took about a year. It’s not that common for things to happen. And the location, the design and the various engineering announcements, and to be efficient and reasonably priced. There were a lot of those questions.

But immediately we dream of having more than one outdoor class, we plan more. “It is a very large community, but that is what we need,” said the director.

But immediately we dream of having more than one outdoor class, we plan more. Our great community.

A total of 1,080 students study at this school. According to the principal, it is planned to put together a schedule according to which all students will have access to the class outdoors. She hopes that all teachers will want to teach their subjects here at least sometimes.

“Apparently, like other schools, we look for a variety of creative solutions to learn in other spaces, to learn differently. Because all these environments, such as the homeless, stimulate, motivate to learn. That ordinary lesson from the past becomes obsolete, uninteresting, possible only through strict discipline. Today’s life forces us to look for various solutions to involve children in the learning process in an interesting way, ”said J. Nemanienė.

Already on the first night after the inauguration, a parent meeting was held in this open-air classroom, but the principal laughed, still not knowing the parents’ impressions, only to learn that they had stayed there for long time.

“The children’s eyes shone as much as we asked, so we hope that not only the children but also the teachers will want to use it,” said the principal about the first impressions.

Did not receive help from the municipality

The representatives of the school community do not hide that they expected the help of the Vilnius municipality in the implementation of this project. Its total value amounted to almost 15 thousand. euros.

“The municipality was willing to help at the same time, so we spent half a year waiting for their help until we found out that there would be no help. Then we did everything at the community’s expense, both of the 2% allocated by parents, as much as parents still donate, and the school administration contributed funds allocated for education and funds donated by the company.

We would very much like to do the second one, we would very much like that all Vilnius schools could have such non-traditional spaces ”, said R. Markov.

The municipality was willing to help at the same time, so we spent half a year waiting for their help until we found out that there would be no help.

He said that he would not want to criticize the municipality, realizing that financial resources were limited, but that he would still like to see some kind of support scheme. It is as if, for example, roads or patios are paved: if residents contribute, the city also allocates part of the funds.

This could be the case for school community projects, R. Markov is convinced. He said that the representatives of the municipality reacted very positively to the idea presented for the field class, praised the project, promised to help.

“But then they offered us to participate in the competition, if we won it, we could get 2,000. euro, it will not be clear when it will happen. We decided not to wait. Because there was also the requirement to install such nice classes, whose value I don’t even know exactly what, maybe we would need another zero for the amount spent by us, “said R. Markov.

Municipality: The school chose to equip itself

The Vilnius Municipality says it contributes to such initiatives and names eight schools that participated in the municipal outdoor classroom project organized by the Vilnius Center for Educational Progress.

“Most of the prepared projects have very high estimates, so not all schools were able to organize classes this year. Currently, Vilnius Šilo School, Vilnius Jonas Basanavičius Progymnasium and Vilnius Vyturys Primary School already have outdoor classes.

The funds for the installation of the outdoor classroom (we had provided 2,000 euros for each school) were transferred to the Vilnius Šilo school and it is planned to transfer them soon to the Vilnius Vyturys primary school. J.Basanavičius Progymnasium chose to work independently: they changed the project and set it up on their own, ”says the comment from the Vilnius municipality.

The municipality also noted that some schools have installed outdoor classes without participating in the project. For example, the Progymnasium of Prince Gediminas.

Contributed to the Foundation for the Promotion of Volunteering

According to a representative of the parent committee, it may also be possible to equip the classroom. For example, having only one dome directly on the lawn without equipment, will also diversify the learning process, perhaps not as modern as J.Basanavičius progymnasium was installed.

There would be places for the second and third classes of this type near the school, everything, according to R. Markov, is based on finances. Approximately half of the amount was allocated to the first grade from the money available in the school, another part was allocated by the parent community and another 4 thousand. One million euros was donated by a support fund created by a company.

R.Markov did not hide himself by working for that company, and the support fund established by it has hundreds of millions of capital and works in several different directions.

This is the fourth support of this fund for this school: he repaired the gym floor, bought more than a hundred tablets.

“This particular fund I’m talking about is designed to promote volunteering. All current and former employees who volunteer can apply to the company for financial assistance for their volunteer activities. I have been a member of the parent committee since I was president of the school board for many years.

This is the fourth support of this fund for this school: he repaired the gym floor, bought more than a hundred tablets. Our school was one of the few in Lithuania that did not need state IT support during the pandemic, because the school had everything with its own resources, ”said R. Markov.

There’s others

On March 1, the Vilnius Center for Educational Progress announced the launch of a pilot project “Outdoor Classroom Design” to help eight schools in the capital “get closer to the vision expressed in the Good School Concept that teaching must take place not only in the traditional classroom, but in classrooms without borders. “

Vilnius Šilo School was announced earlier this school year with the opening of an outdoor classroom, which is “a unique space where students will have the opportunity not only to get to know the immediate environment better, but also to learn differently” .