W5: "The School that Runs on Kindness and Solar Power"

The School that Runs on Kindness and Solar Power

In many schools today, classrooms are packed, the weather is hot and fans spin endlessly to fight the heat. According to Jaafar (2025), Malaysia will continue to experience hot and dry weather, and a high number of rainless days is expected to continue until September this year. With rising temperatures, schools are forced to rely heavily on electricity for fans as well as air-conditioners. This will lead to higher energy usage, which costs more money and also harms the environment by creating more carbon emissions, especially if the power comes from non-renewable energy sources. Water usage is another serious issue that schools often overlook. Schools use a large amount of water every day for heating and cooling systems, toilets, water taps, cafeterias, laboratories, outdoor playgrounds and landscaping (El-Nwsany et al., 2019). 

Figure 1: AI-generated image of Willow Forest

By the year 2045, there will be a school named Willow Forest, located near a quiet forest. Fans and air-conditioners are still used. However, the entire school is powered by solar energy to supply electricity for lights, fans and classroom tools. This can reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. Instead of relying on artificial cooling all the time, the school will plant taller trees beside walkways to provide natural shade and cool the surroundings. Plants will grow along the outer walls, absorbing heat, blocking sunlight and keeping indoor temperatures pleasant. Therefore, students can feel cool and comfortable without needing to turn on air-conditioning or fans all day. The classrooms have wide windows that let in natural light and fresh air, which helps reduce stress and increase focus. On top of that, the school also uses a rainwater harvesting system. Water is reused wisely. During rainy days, the rainwater will be collected and stored in tanks. This water can be reused for flushing toilets or watering gardens. By reducing electricity and water waste, Willow Forest can save resources, teach students sustainability and protect the planet. 

Figure 2: AI-generated image of the discussion session

Willow Forest is more than just eco-friendly. It also encourage compassion, diversity and inclusion. In today’s world, many students feel a lot of pressure from exams, family expectations or trying to fit in. In Malaysia, the frequency of mental health issues among young adults has climbed from 11.2% in 2006 to 29.2% in 2015 (“A Youth Issue in Malaysia: Academic Stress and Career-Building Pressure, a Strain on Mental Health”, 2023). Willow Forest will held a discussion session every week. Students can sit together in small groups to talk about their feelings, challenges and how to support one another. A teacher will guide the discussion and help students open up. The group can also work together to find ways to solve problems. They listen without judging and learn how to comfort friends who are sad or stressed. These weekly sessions help students feel safe, connected and more compassionate in everyday life. 

Figure 3: AI-generated image of an inclusive classroom

Furthermore, students do not all learn the same way. Some understand better through pictures or sound, and some may have difficulties. In Malaysia, inclusive education has not been adopted by the Ministry of Education as the mainstream educational practice (Revati, 2023). At Willow Forest, every student will be accepted, supported and treated equally. Teachers will combine many styles of teaching to help everyone understand better. For example, some students learn best by seeing, so teachers use colourful pictures and videos in their lessons. Some prefer to listen, so teachers explain lessons through stories or play audio recordings. Some may learn better by doing things with their hands, so teachers prepare hands-on activities like simple science experiments. This way, students will not feel ignored, judged or left behind. The classrooms are also designed to support different needs. The desks are adjustable, so students in wheelchairs can sit comfortably, reach the table and take part in class activities just like everyone else. All of this helps students feel more confident and included. Many schools today focus mainly on exams and fixed teaching styles. As the world continues to change, our education system must change too. If more schools introduced mental health activities or inclusive classrooms, students would feel less stressed and more excited to learn.

How the rainwater harvesting system works:

Figure 4: AI-generated image of Rainwater Harvesting System

Willow Forest's floor plan:

Figure 5: AI-generated image of the floor plan

References

A youth issue in Malaysia: Academic stress and Career-Building Pressure, a strain on mental health. (2023, July 4). Malaysiakini. https://www.malaysiakini.com/announcement/670111 

El-Nwsany, R. I., Maarouf, I., & El-Aal, W. A. (2019). Water management as a vital factor for a sustainable school. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 58(1), 303–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2018.12.012 

Jaafar, N. H. A. (2025, June 17). Dry, hot weather to persist until September, says MetMalaysia. NST Online. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/06/1232143/dry-hot-weather-persist-until-september-says-metmalaysia 

Revati, R. (2023, August 23). How Inclusive Is Our Inclusive Education? BERNAMA. https://bernama.com/en/thoughts/news.php?id=2216690

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