Primary students learn to play with fire
One school is taking a flaming unusual approach to play. By Laura Walters.
A PRIMARY school with a disregard for the rules is looking to let kids play with fire.
Swanson School in west Auckland has been a ‘free play’ school for the past four years and now plans to add firepits to its arsenal of unconventional play time tools.
Principal Bruce McLachlan reckons modern children often miss out on experiences such as sitting around a campfire and toasting marshmallows, and he wants to teach them about the dangers and the magic of fire.
It might sound bizarre in this day and age to let children play with fire – especially on school grounds – but this is part of everyday play at Swanson.
Swanson is a ‘‘free play’’ school where children are encouraged to climb trees, ride skateboards and play bullrush.
Its latest move and overall approach to play has earned the school its own chapter in a soon- to- be released book about the game of bullrush.
It has the seal of approval from Australian best-selling author and principal John Marsden.
The school’s lawlessness started with a joint research project by AUT and University of Otago, the results of which are expected to be released later this year.
Since then the school has embraced free play and has received worldwide attention and recognition for its efforts.
McLachlan has addressed media and an Australian early childhood education conference on the topic.
‘‘ It’s been an amazing rollercoaster for something that isn’t rocket science.’’
Since launching free play, Swanson has seen a number of positives, such as a decrease in significant playground injuries and in bullying. The students are more active and do not resort to boredom- induced bullying, McLachlan says.
‘‘ We assume without constant supervision [kids are] going to hurt themselves and hurt others.’’
Free play teached kids lessons they can learn in the real world, he says.
The school community got on board early and while the school roll was static, parents who enrolled their children at Swanson often told McLachlan they did so because of its playground policy.
The bestselling author of the Tomorrow series and founder and principal of Australia’s independent Candlebark school, Marsden, is a Swanson supporter and has been inspired to install a firepit at his Candlebark school for the coming winter.
Children at Candlebark rode bikes, rolled down hills and climbed trees, much like at Swanson.
University of Otago associate professor Rachael Taylor – the head of the study that sparked the Swanson project – said when researchers approached the school it hoped the changes would be long-lasting.
‘‘Swanson are obviously incredibly forward-thinking in terms of risk and challenge opportunities for their students.’’
The study was now finished but it was only just the beginning for some schools, she said.
Kiwi author and media commentator David Slack is also giving Swanson’s free play policy the big tick.
Slack dedicates a whole chapter in his new book Bullrush! to the west Auckland school.
He explores the ‘‘fond memory’’ of bullrush – where it came from and what happened to it.
Slack’s journey to learn more about the age- old playground activity has led him to deeper questions about how children play today.
It was disappointing when conversations about children’s freedom became categorised as a political debate between left and right, when the issue was about freedom to learn and grow, he said.
One of the few places children were still free to roam was online, which often posed greater dangers than climbing trees or toasting marshmallows over an open fire.
Slack’s book Bullrush! is due to be released at the end of July.