Method in Madness:Kai-ping Vocational School

Kai-ping is a privately run vocational middle school that has gained a reputation in recent years for its liberal approach to education. The school does not enforce a hair code and its students are free to perm or dye their hair as they please. Thus, visitors are often astonished to see all sorts of hairstyles in the schoolyard.

But Kai-ping is also a renowned cooking school. When students take practical cooking lessons in the school's kitchen and dining hall, they have to dress like real chefs.

School principal Hsia Hui-wen believes that life is a many-splendored thing. Some people put a lot of emphasis on outward appearances, and some could not care less about it. Hsia says, "We cannot impose the same appearance on everyone. Instead, we have to respect kids' individual differences."

Based on these considerations, the Kai-ping Vocational School rules contain only three provisions: (1) do not cause any physical harm to others; (2) do not consume or traffic in drugs; (3) do not infringe on other people's privacy or property.

These "Three Commandments," as Kai-ping students call them, may under no circumstances be violated. In the interest of the students' future careers, the school has two other rules: (1) do not skip class without a good reason, and (2) do not smoke. It is worth noting that this school bans smoking not for health reasons, as most schools do, but rather in the interest of the students' professional future. Hsia Hui-wen explains that as future chefs, the students ought to avoid smoking because it harms their taste buds.

Principal Hsia stresses that the Three Commandments and all other rules are all open to debate and revision.

Because the Kai-ping school rules are so straightforward and give students so much freedom, many people outside the school and even some parents criticize them for "taking laissez-faire too far."

Principal Hsia says that he can accept that misunderstandings can arise because outsiders don't know how the school functions. He adds that if that's what it takes to let students be themselves, he is willing to bear a cross and tolerate criticism from outsiders. He thinks that the school's job is not to let students do whatever they want, but rather to "look after them without interfering with them, which is a much more demanding task than controlling them." That's why Kai-ping has twice as many teachers as most schools.

Are kids spoiled after they enter Kai-ping? Hsia Hui-wen explains that when kids find themselves in an unregimented environment, they initially run wild, and some act as if there were no laws, human or divine, sassing back and dyeing their hair. But, says Hsia, "This is an unavoidable rebellious transitional phase. Adults just need to be there for the kids and to exercise a little patience and consideration, and they will gradually change for the better."

It is an undeniable fact that freedom has to be learned. As we grow up we inevitably go through a rebellious phase. Principal Hsia sees this process unfold in the students. In their first year of senior high school they are initially well behaved, but because they have no experience of freedom, they soon begin to do things they were not allowed to do in junior high, such as perming and dyeing their hair. Throughout the first year, they test the boundaries of their new freedom. In their second year, having tried out their freedom, they gradually begin to take a few steps back. Because there is no point in putting their energy into rebelling against the school and their teachers, students then begin to think of their future profession. During this stage, teachers who have earned the students' trust can engage in communication and dialogue with them. By the third year, the students have truly matured.

According to Hsia, "The rebellious phase is fraught with risk," but when teachers give the students consideration and support, 99% of them get through this phase safely.

Like caterpillars that turn into butterflies and tadpoles into frogs, children inevitably experience pain and struggle as they grow into healthy adults.

Students studying to be chefs develop creativity and professional skills in a lively atmosphere.