School

Gamot Cogon School

Gamot Cogon School

The Gamot Cogon School is part of the worldwide Steiner School movement where over 1000 school in more than 60 countries are implementing this tested approach to holistic education. The school is located in Barangay Libongcogon, Zarraga, Iloilo. It was established in 2005 and is registered as a private school with the Philippine Department of Education. It is a non-stock, non-profit and non-sectarian educational institution offering kindergarten to Grade 7.

We believe that undiscovered potentials lie dormant in all children, including those children from poor, rural communities. We see the need to bring Steiner Education to these rural communities and to prototype a school that is accessible to the children of the poor families in the community, a school based in a nature setting, a school that could be a prototype for a whole network of schools offering Steiner-inspired education as an alternative to the materialistic tendency of traditional schooling. At the Gamot Cogon School we strive to prepare students to become self-actuated, creative, responsible compassionate human beings.

History

The school began in 2005-6 with a class of 4 children in third grade. The next school year enrollment increased to 30 students in kindergarten, class 1 and class 4. For the 2007-8 school year, there were 54 students in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2 and grade 5. In the 2008-9 school year, there were 94 children in kindergarten up to class 6 and for 2009-10 we have 128 children enrolled up to class seven.  Many parents have shared stories about how they feel that they have finally found the “right” place for their children to go to school. A significant number of the children enrolled in the school come from the local community—farm families living well below the poverty threshold. But we also have quite a number of parents from Iloilo City who found out about the school and are making the 20 km journey to send their children to the school as well, which gives a healthy balance and diversity to the student body and school community. The school is a pioneering effort, working to build up its infrastructure, faculty, administration and parent community.

Campus

The school is situated on five hectares of land in Barangay Libongcogon, Zarraga. It is bounded  by the Singangao creek and is covered with bamboo, trees, grasses and open areas, giving the children a real experience of nature, clean air and expansiveness to explore and enjoy.

Future Plans

The school has been adding classes each year. We envision the school to eventually encompass the full Steiner education curriculum that spans 12 years. In the coming years, we will be adding the middle school and high school. Gamot Cogon School follows the international 12-yr basic education cycle. While many Philippine schools only offer 10 years of basic education, this is currently under intense scrutiny and debate as the Philippines is the last country in Asia that requires only 10 years of basic education before university.

School Fees

As a private, non-profit institution, the Gamot Cogon School seeks innovative ways to finance the costs of running the school. We seek donations and support from multiple sources and all families, to the best of their abilities, contribute to the shared cost of running the school. The school works to ensure that no child is denied entry to the school on the basis of the financial capacity of the family. Please contact the school to discuss our school fee policy.

Enrollment

All families are encouraged to attend a school orientation. These are scheduled twice a year, usually in February and April of each year. Each child must be assessed by the school before admission. Kindly contact the school to learn more about our enrollment process, to request for enrollment forms or to inquire about the schedule for orientations.