School gardens may seem innovative and new. But really they have a rich—and surprisingly long—history. To learn how these community spaces have evolved over the years, watch this 17-minute video by the Library of Congress.
An increased emphasis on health, the environment and food security has sparked fast-growing interest in school gardens. Numerous farming groups such as the Ground-Up Initiative and Edible Garden City now provide food education programmes for children.
The government has even set a “30 by 30” goal for Singapore (to produce at least 30 percent of the nation’s nutritional needs locally by 2030). And from 2020 to 2030, the number of community gardening plots in Singapore is set to grow from 1,500 to 3,000.
As forward-looking as these plans are, school and community gardens are not a new concept. In fact, young children have been receiving a holistic education at school farms and gardens for at least 100 years.
At school gardens—of both yesteryear and today—children develop social and emotional skills like empathy (think, being gentle with plants) as well as academic skills.
They sketch fruits and vegetables to hone their artistic skills. They draw maps of gardens to scale, measure the depth of soil and pot sizes to develop their mathematical abilities.
They sing garden songs and cultivate a love of music and language. Plus, they work on their motor skills as they harvest and prepare vegetables from the garden. The learning opportunities are endless.
To learn more about the garden movement here in Singapore, do look into the Use Your Hands campaign (from 1976) and “gotong royong” sessions of the 1970s.
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