“Masks and desks with wheels are no problem here” Did you just hear that? That’s what they say about Cascina Scuola. It is a primary school where lessons take place immersed in nature.
Cascina Scuola offers a unique educational experience near Parco delle Cave. It embraces a bucolic approach to learning inspired by Steiner Waldorf pedagogy.
Before becoming a school, Cascina Linterno was Francesco Petrarca’s summer residence. It later housed a museum dedicated to the poet. Mario Veca’s Apepè farm also resided here. For four years, Apepè collaborated with city schools. They brought children closer to nature. They taught respect through activities like beekeeping and organic farming.
Veca dreamed of bringing a farm school to the city. So he started a Steinerian kindergarten with thirty places. Then he added a primary school. Currently, nine elementary students attend Cascina Scuola. Parents chose this school to avoid remote learning and classroom restrictions. These were imposed by Covid rules. They opted for the freedom Cascina Linterno offers.
The school day begins with greetings at the door. Then comes activities to awaken body and mind. Children engage in circle dances, rhymes, poems, and dances. From 9:30 to 11:30 subjects are taught like months of the year. Three months of Italian, three of math and so on. Teacher Silvia Maria Del Col explains that this way knowledge takes root and is not forgotten.
Lessons happen in diverse locations. Students sit in circles on the farmyard. They gather near enclosures with goats, sheep, and chickens. Or they stroll through gardens, meadows, and along park trails.
There are no textbooks at Cascina Scuola. Sciences are learned by observing nature’s rhythms. Children study the bee cycle and collect pebbles to learn set theory. Report cards do not exist either. Instead, parents receive an evaluation of their child’s development at year’s end.
At Cascina Scuola, mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn. Teacher Silvia Del Col states that science recognizes 13 types of intelligence. There are many paths to the same solution and every effort deserves praise.
Cascina Scuola is a place where learning flourishes in harmony with nature. It is a testament to innovative education. It values experience and individuality.