Parents and pupils were upbeat as The Green School's first day got under way last week. Londoner Jeremy Brown, working in Bali and with two daughters at the school, said: 'This is an amazing project. I like the sustainability, that's all part of it of course but it's more what they're actually doing, the energy. They're writing their own agenda.' Chris Majors, an environmental anthropologist writing a PhD at Perth's Murdoch University, said he wanted his seven-year-old son to become 'an open-minded thinker so he's able to ask questions and seek answers himself'. 'I believe the Steiner philosophy in general and specifically what this school is trying to create will maximise his potential. I have strong environmental opinions and I aspire, like many other parents, that my children will have a similar ethic.' Jac Peeris, a Canadian-Sri Lankan, working in Bali with a son and daughter at the school, said her hope was that they would be able to help solve environmental and humanitarian issues. 'My hope and dream is that my children will come out at the age of 18 and be able to contribute and solve the problems that threaten the survival of all us.' Ketut Susana Zanzan, who works in Bali's museum of art and has two children at the school, felt 'integrated' with the school because of its green approach. 'Also they want to create leaders for their generation. As a parent I feel so lucky and so proud of it.' Naoyoshi and Naomi Murakami, from Japan, moved their five-year-old daughter from another Bali school. 'If I was still a child I would want to learn here. I like the school concept, the philosophy and the environment,' Mr Murakami said. Speaking at the end of the first day of school, pupils Mati Wallensky, 13, from Australia, Gemma McGovern Tyler, 13, from Britain, Isami Said Rashid, 14, from Hawaii and Siddartha Phillips, 13, from Bali, said they were surprised at how different this school was. 'My parents saw it and told me it was different but I wasn't expecting everything to be made out of bamboo,' Mati said. Isami said the school was much bigger than he expected. 'It is amazing to see how much effort has been put into everything. The first day here was a lot different from first days at other schools. Everybody is different, the teaching. The place is very inspiring and everybody is willing to change,' he said. Gemma said she was apprehensive in the run-up to the first day because she was a city girl 'and used to cars and stuff'. Although she wasn't sure about 'doing farming and gardening' the school was refreshing departure from a 'normal' one. Isami said he was positive the school's philosophy of producing a generation of eco-warriors to fight for the planet would pay off. 'The younger generation is us and everybody is going to look to us to make things healthy. The ways that we deal with the world will be a lot different. I'm sure we'll be able to help the world. This is the start.'