Taipei City Government

For three school years in a row, Zhongshan Elementary School’s special education program has focused on the concept of “mountain as a school.” On June 10, resource class teacher Cui De-long led a team comprising five students from the program to embark on a three-day mountaineering trip to Jade Mountains.
 
The team comprised the five students (one second grader, one third grader, one fourth grader, and two fifth graders), a student’s sibling (third grader), as well as parents and volunteers. 
 
Since the 2016 school year, these students have been learning about overcoming challenges that came with autism or mood disorder and engaging in the “mountain education program.” Goals are established for the short term, the mid-term, and the long term respectively.
 
Mountain education is intended to help students build physical strength, explore personal potentials, and connect with nature. Three of the students were accompanied by their parents on the trip.
 
The school pointed out mountain education is not meant to cultivate mountaineers, but rather to engage teachers, children, and families. It invites members of the public and media to exchange their views and ideas about the mountain education program.