Is there a model one of school, too?

Human beings are born with curiosity and an instinct for learning by nature as well as they live in communities. Essentially, the institution known as “the school” was established to upskill people who are same age and gathered in smaller and organized groups. Before it reached its current form, the school evolved through the ages. If we analyze the past, we can say that societies shape their schools in the direction of their historical evolution.

After referring the big picture, when I speak with parents who have school-age children today, they mostly answer the question “What do you expect from the school?” as below;

• The same positive and successful experience that they have,
• The opposite negative and unsuccessful experience that they have,
• Temporary trends that they heard from the media,
• Methods and applications that they believe they are either ‘true’ or ‘false’ according to someone else’s experiences which heard from neighbors, colleagues and friends.

Accepting that I make generalization, mostly teachers, school managers and even people who regarded as educational thought leaders agree to statements above. You will ask me, “Are there any people who break the mold?” Of course, under the favor of these people and institutions, I will never give up to imagine the times when it will be possible that decision makers achieve organizing life through putting human and nature in the center in accordance with objective data and science; and raise children with the care that they serve.

If you ask me, “Who are these people?”… The first thing coming to mind that they are the ones who take lessons from the past, analyze today’s information and also imagine the future. They are the ones who are brave to be a part of the transformation and change, never give up being curious, and learn, who criticize what counts to be the good and the true and make people to question them. They are the ones who know the nature’s value. As we remembered with the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Vehbi Koç Foundation, they are the ones who say, “The onus is on us!”…

I made a little long introduction because I try to answer the question “Why did Vehbi Koç Foundation decide to establish a ‘Model School’?” neither more nor less. We imagine that we will achieve to bring our scientific knowledge on learning into the classroom; and transform the school where students learn with pleasure, teachers work with enthusiasm and parents trust the environment. The Model School Project is a first step towards the realization of this dream, not only contended with providing material needs of basic and secondary education school buildings in Turkey, rather improves also the qualification of schools towards contemporary education applications.