Teaching in a mini jungle. At KBS Petrus en Paul in Breda, the children of group 5b receive education in an oasis of greenery. “You come in and it smells completely like the Intratuin and the forest,” says teacher Iris van Campen. The children can get used to it. “They provide more oxygen and they also give me more energy,” notes 8-year-old Tias.
“You also have children who, while they are working, sit quietly at a plant on their table,” says teacher Iris, laughing. “It brings a lot of peace and a lot of atmosphere. It is very pleasant. And the other classrooms? “Yes, the rest of the teachers are very jealous!”
“My mother wants to plant more and more, but my father doesn’t like that very much.”
“We also had a lesson about plants this morning. There we heard that plants are also very good for your concentration,” says Tess (8). It’s not so green at her house yet. “My mother tries to add more and more plants. But my father doesn’t like that very much, because then he can’t watch football very well because all those plants are in front of it. But I think it’s nice.”
All the greenery is very popular. “I really like the plants. It is very special that it has suddenly become completely green here,” says Quinten (8). Each child received their own plant to take care of themselves. “Mine needs to be watered once every three weeks.”
“There are about twenty plants on my desk at home.”
“Everyone is amazed,” laughs Miss Iris. On Thursday it turned out that ‘her’ 25 children were the lucky winners of the ‘jungle class’ competition of the Flower Council of Holland and GreenBee Foundation. “We were chosen out of 350 classes!”
8-year-old Pien feels completely at home in the green classroom. “I also have a lot of plants at home. There are about twenty plants on my desk. I really enjoy sitting among plants, because I really love nature.”
“Green classrooms, green hallways, yes all of them.”
“I think it will be very green here. Because the plants are getting much bigger and mine is getting much taller,” Tias points to the plant on his table. “If it were up to me and the students, I think that in a few years we will have more greenery at the school,” says director Maartje Schalk.
“The classrooms could definitely be a bit greener, because that’s where the children spend most of their time. Green classrooms, green hallways, yes, everyone.” But will the classroom really turn into a jungle in the coming years? “I hope so!” Tias shouts happily. “I think that would be fun. Hopefully with monkeys, because they are my favorite animals!”