Children

Regarding children, living in MSPT means a life free of many distractions and lots of play. Save for television, there are no ‘western inferences’, such as video games and internet connection. Therefore, children seek adventure and excitement in nature as well as company in the presence of peers. Given that they have grown up in nature as well as that they are being taught agriculture at school and take part in a pig and frog raising project, children feel quite at ease in their natural surroundings which consist of tall trees, grass green and long from the frequent downpours, wooden houses and open spaces with a view of the surrounding hills, insects and animals. One of their favorite hobbies is football, while the sound that they hear the most at night is the melodic vocals of frogs and geckos (‘to-ke’!).

In addition to the above, it is worth mentioning how much trust adults have in the children. They are allowed to wander with friends, take keys from the teachers’ room to open and close doors, switch off the lights, sometimes clean dishes or cook, and take care of their siblings at home. Trust in the village is also seen in the doors of the homes that are left open during the day and teachers’ stuff being left untouched in places where students come and go.