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GlobalTimes.twHOME >> METRO BEIJING
An alternative education
By Chen Ximeng Source:Global Times Published:
A radically humanistic approach to pedagogy is gaining a following in China
A third-grader in a Spring Valley Waldorf School classroom. Photo: Li Hao/GT
Preschool students at the school on their way to an organic farm not far from the school grounds. Photo: Li Hao/GT
The first thing that one notices upon entering a classroom at the Spring Valley Waldorf School is that there are no textbooks. There are no long multiplication tables, or standardized learning diagrams pinned to any of the powdery pink walls. The only materials that record what has been taught are made by students themselves, in large robust scrapbooks. There are no set curriculums. No standardized tests. No grades. Just groups of contented children, gently guided along by a teacher, to sing, dance, paint, mould, sculpt, dig, weave, build, knit, plant, play, and learn.Tucked away in the mountains on the outskirts of Beijing's Haidian district, the school is one of more than 300 preschools and elementary schools following a radically alternative approach to education known as the Waldorf method. Developed by Austrian philosopher and educator Rudolf Steiner in the first two decades of the 20th century, the Waldorf approach emphasizes the role of imagination in learning. Lessons, particularly at the preschool and early elementary levels, are primarily hands-on and sensory-based. Rather than memorizing times tables by rote, multiplication is learned through games which require students to perform certain actions with their bodies on multiples of a particular number. Rather than simply reading about folk stories, students are asked to perform them in classroom theatrical productions. Rather than copying diagrams about photosynthesis, students are taken into the hills to dig up the earth, and plant seeds.&&&&&&&& The goal, according to Waldorf educators, is to cultivate a love of learning, and to develop free-thinking, morally responsible and socially engaged individuals.
Students at the school contort themselves into different poses as part of an exercise for learning pinyin. Photo: Li Hao/GT
Students monkey around in the playground at the Spring Valley Waldorf School. Photo: Li Hao/GT
In search of an alternative"I grew up under the traditional education system and I didn't want my daughter to follow the same path. Chasing after the highest grades and cramming information by rote won't help her in her later life," said Xu Ping, 42, who enrolled her daughter at the Spring Valley Waldorf School last April.Prior to enrolling at the school, Xu's daughter attended a kindergarten that followed the Montessori educational approach, which likewise emphasized exploratory, hands-on learning that gives students a large amount of freedom. But as the kindergarten did not offer elementary education, Xu decided to enroll her daughter at the Spring Valley Waldorf School."Many parents think that Waldorf education is still at the experimental stage in China, and do not want to risk to sending their children there," said Xu. "But I didn't want my daughter to simply be an obedient child, as she would have been taught to be in a traditional school. I want her to grow into an adult with a strong will and a clear understanding of the world."&&&& "Waldorf education has a long history in Western countries. After learning about it through a series of workshops, I believed it was suitable for her," said Xu. Transferring to the school was not a simple process. Located more than two hours' drive from the center of Beijing, Xu had to make the difficult decision to relocate the family somewhere closer. As part of the school's admissions policy, Xu also had to agree to being interviewed by a panel of the school's administrators, to ensure that she understood and agreed with the school's teaching philosophies. The school requires parents to be intimately involved in their child's education, and periodically runs workshops for parents and their children."When new students first arrive, it sometimes takes them a while to let go of their old habits of simply being obedient and passive," said Yu Ningyuan, director of the Spring Valley Waldorf School. "But later, they start to relax and will feel a sense of relief."& Founded in 2011, the school currently has around 100 students from preschool through to elementary school grade four. The classrooms are divided into two rows of idyllic red-brick buildings, with ample wooden verandahs. The school grounds also include an organic farm, where students learn basic agricultural skills."Every day, the children can hear birds singing and insects chirping. During recesses, they can play in the sand and the dirt. They breathe along with nature," said Wang Shoumao, a teacher of the fourth-grade class at the school. "[We've] strived to cultivate a natural environment for the children, so it's a little bit like having a rural education."& According to Yu, most of the teachers at the school are certified by approved Waldorf education training centers: Wang received his master's degree in Waldorf pedagogy from Freie Hochschule Stuttgart (Waldorf Teachers College) in G and Yu has more than a decade of experience teaching at Waldorf schools in the US. However, the school is not on the Waldorf World List 2014, a directory of certified schools published by the official international Waldorf sanctioning body.Integrated learningOne of the unique features of Waldorf education is that subjects are taught in a way that is integrated, rather than as separate fields of knowledge with disparate concerns. Instead of dividing learning units into discrete subjects like history or mathematics, each subject will be integrated through a common topic, said Yu.For example, if the topic is "architecture," students will be instructed to approach it from multiple disciplines, from mathematics (measurement and geometry), to history (how houses have changed over time), to literacy (a myth or fairy tale about houses). These topics are taught in blocks of several weeks at a time, and are called "main lessons.""For the math component [of this main lesson], I teach them about measurement, as part of building a house. Afterwards, the children build their own model houses, which is great fun for them," Wang added.For each main lesson topic, a hands-on approach is adopted. "For example, [one of the main lesson topics] is farming. So our students make their own biodynamic farm," said Yu.&&&&&&& Yu added that teacher acts as a role model and a guide, rather than strictly as an authority figure, and collaboration is encouraged over competition. Learning outcomes are evaluated through portfolio work, personal reports, and discussions between teachers, parents and students, rather than through exams or competitive grades.Looking towards the futureAccording to the Waldorf World List 2014, there are currently 1,039 certified Waldorf schools around the world.&"Since the first Waldorf school was established in Germany in 1919, Waldorf education has become one of the largest independent alternative education movements in the world," said Huang Xiaoxing, who co-founded China's first Waldorf school in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 2004.Huang identified three main obstacles impeding Waldorf's growth in China. The first was the lack of qualified Waldorf teachers in the country, and the second was the lack of government support. Finally, said Huang, Waldorf schools still lack legitimacy in China. Of the over 300 Waldorf schools that Huang estimates are in China, only six are certified on the Waldorf World List 2014.With the concern that unqualified education staff will influence the development of Waldorf education in China, Huang and other Waldorf educators are taking steps to tackle the challenges. In lieu of official accreditation, and to promote wider acceptance for Waldorf education in China, Huang is hosting a series of workshops and classes for parents and teachers to maintain the standards of Waldorf education in the country.& This March, the Spring Valley Waldorf School partnered with the University of Modern Administration in Beijing to found Spring Valley College, an institution that will train teachers in the Waldorf system. In addition, Spring Valley Waldorf School, which is affiliated with the Beijing Bowen School in Fangshan district to allow it to operate legally as a school under China's laws, hopes to expand beyond simply being an elementary school in coming years.& "In the future, students will be able to take the gaokao (the national college entrance examinations) or other exams to be admitted entry into higher education," said Yu. "In this way, students can apply for both the universities home and abroad."But Chu Zhaohui, professor at the National Institute of Education Sciences, advised parents to be cautious about sending their children to Waldorf schools if they want their children to enter a first-class university.&"Students graduating from Waldorf schools will find it very hard to get admitted into a top university in China because students can not transfer from such way of education to exam-oriented education in a short time," said Chu. "However, some children who are suited to the Waldorf approach will be able to nurture their talents and realize their worth after they enter society.""People should be tolerant of diverse ways of education rather than only traditional routes. Waldorf education is one of many approaches, which might yield results for certain students," Chu said.
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& Ya‘an 7.0-M Earthquake on April 20th, 2013
Power supplies have been restored to areas of southwestChina's Sichuan Province severely affected by Saturday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake,said the State Grid Corp. on Monday.
Power supplies in Baoxing County were restored on Sunday night after those to LushanCounty and nearby Tianquan County were basically restored in the morning, accordingto the emergency command center of the State Grid.
CHENGDU, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 198 rescuers from Russia will arrive at an airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province around noon on Monday and rush to the quake-hit Ya'an City, according to the provincial seismological bureau.
The headquarters of the China Earthquak ...
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18:51 11:32 16:19 15:19 16:37 16:19 14:38 15:51 17:28 15:21 15:18 14:42 14:29Home >> CHINA
Mothers wanted
By Xuyang Jingjing Source:Global Times Published:
Indian surrogate mothers pose with Dr Nayna Patel (sixth from left) at a "surrogate mothers" home in Anand, some 90 kilometers from Ahmedabad, India. Commercial surrogacy, made legal in India in 2002 and popular among foreign couples who are unable to conceive, has provided a large source of income for some Indian women acting as surrogate mothers despite local stigmas and ethical debates. Photo: IC
Tony often joked that his baby girl is, quite literally, a million dollar baby. After years of failed attempts at having a baby through surrogacy in China, the couple went to the US for one last shot. This time, it worked.Born in December 2010, the baby girl, born a US citizen, is growing up healthy in Shanghai, said Tony, who asked to be identified only by his English name.Surrogacy remains a legally gray area in China. A lack of experienced facilities and the risk of scams have prompted many well-to-do couples to turn overseas to seek surrogacy in countries such as the US or India.In 2007, three years into their marriage, Tony and his wife Cherry were told that they couldn't conceive because Cherry had a uterine malformation. "We felt like the sky was falling on us," said Tony, 35, a marketing director in Shanghai.They spent the next two years trying to have a baby through surrogacy in China, a process which left them exhausted and spent. They forked over 200,000 yuan at a hospital, but failed twice.Defying the banThe Ministry of Health banned surrogacy in 2001. However, surrogacy is still performed surreptitiously because of increasing demand. With connections and backdoor deals, couples are sometimes able to find a surrogate mother and a hospital willing to take the risk. It was reported last December that a rich couple in Guangzhou had conceived eight babies through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy.Infertility is on the rise. Statistics from the All-China Women's Federation show that infertility now affects about one in eight families, or over 50 million individuals in China.Large demand and a fuzzy legal status have created an underground surrogacy business. Dodgy adverts can be found across the Web luring surrogate mothers with high pay, usually hundreds of thousands of yuan. There are also many agencies boasting a high success rate in helping desperate couples find surrogate mothers and clinics.Tony and Cherry were very hopeful, but saw their dreams dashed. Having wasted two years of time and money, the frustrated couple decided to go overseas. In some European countries, surrogacy is banned for ethical reasons but it is allowed in at least a dozen states in the US.Tony later consulted fertility doctors in the US and realized those who had helped him in China were inexperienced and had not implanted the embryos in time."We felt cheated. We felt they were just scamming us," said Tony.It has been widely reported that India has a booming surrogate baby industry. Many couples from the West go to India to find surrogate mothers, as it is legal and relatively cheap there. There, costs run as high as $20,000 for surrogate births, approximately 20-50 percent of the price in the US. Regulations about the practice have been drafted and are pending approval. However, some couples have reportedly had trouble bringing their baby back home. Doing the legworkTony did his homework. He contacted agencies and clinics in India, Thailand and . He even arranged to fly over to a surrogacy agency in Ukraine, where the surrogacy would cost around $40,000-50,000, but gave up at the last minute fearing a trap.Both Tony and Cherry work in foreign companies and have a combined annual income of over $130,000. They decided to go to the US, where the process is more developed and open."We didn't get our hopes up, after all, we had already been through a lot of disappointment," said Tony. "We decided this would be our last try. If it didn't work, maybe it was just not meant to be."In 2010, through a surrogacy agency in California, they found their surrogate mother, Amanda, a 33-year-old housewife with a 3-year-old son at the time.The mountains of paperwork were fearsome. There were at least 300 pages of legal documents to go through, said Tony, most of which were telling the intended parents about all the possible consequences and that neither the agency nor the clinic would be held responsible, if anything went wrong. "It's so different from in China, where all the doctors and agencies are painting y in the US, they tell you everything that could go wrong from the outset," said Tony. Wannabe parents like Tony also have to undergo evaluations by fertility doctors and psychological counselors. There needs to be sufficient physical or social reasons for seeking surrogacy and the couple's relationship is also taken into consideration."I feel they are being very responsible for the baby," said Tony. "In China, nobody cares about these factors, all you need is money."The procedure could take 12 to 18 months and costs add up to over $100,000, including agency fees, legal fees, screening and medical bills, IVF procedures, insurance, surrogate benefits and so on.Despite the high cost and the multiple trips back and forth between China and the US, surrogacy in the US is still popular among Chinese families which have the means. Fertility clinics and surrogacy agencies in the US are seeing an increasing number of Chinese clients, especially in the last couple of years. Many of the agencies even have Chinese language websites.Coming over in drovesWest Coast Surrogacy, in California, has worked with about 40 Chinese clients, with&40 percent of their clients now coming from China.Lee Truong, in charge of international relations at Surrogate Alternatives, founded in 1998 in San Diego, says they have seen a significant increase in Chinese clients in the last 18 months. "This year, about a third of our clients are from China, and of the babies already born and those still due in 2012, more than 30 percent are children of Chinese parents," Truong told the Global Times in an e-mail.Lauri de Brito, vice president of California-based Agency for Surrogacy Solutions, says the agency has seen about 10 Chinese couples since 2004, with most coming over in the past two years. The agency handles about 40 to 50 cases each year.Most agencies and clinics contacted by the Global Times gave an average 70 percent success rate across all surrogacies but noted this could vary according to a number of factors.High success rates and legitimacy are probably what draw patients from all over the world to the US, although American citizenship for their children is certainly an added plus for the Chinese parents, said de Brito.Most of the Chinese clients are well-to-do and mostly in their late 30s and early 40s, she adds, saying that most have tried IVF on their own but failed.On occasion, these agencies have gay Chinese couples or single gay men approaching them but not many among these follow through.Tony and Cherry are the first Chinese couple the California Fertility Partners clinic have had since the 1980s. Having navigated the surrogacy process on their own, Tony and Cherry are now helping Chinese couples who want to follow in their footsteps and find surrogate mothers in the US. In 2012 alone, Tony said they've referred about 45 couples to the clinic. He consults with on average six to seven couples a week.Although most potential clients are couples who have exhausted all other means to conceive, some are seeking surrogacy for less acceptable reasons, said Tony. "Some say they are just too busy to have kids, and that's just not a sufficient reason," he said.Tony said he usually warns parents against the risks involved, especially financial risks. "You need to have at least $100,000 in dispensable income," said Tony. "I've met couples who sold their house just to go through this procedure, and I don't think that's wise."Most intended parents have similar requests from surrogates such as a healthy lifestyle. Truong from Surrogate Alternatives says Chinese parents sometimes require a specific blood type, which is a bit unusual. De Brito also mentioned that many Chinese clients request to have a boy.Many parents who approach Tony expressed wishes for an Asian surrogate, especially if a donor egg is required. Some may also have misgivings about the race and age of potential surrogate mothers, said Tony.For Cherry and Tony, after all the paperwork and tests, three embryos were implanted and one survived. During Amanda's pregnancy, Tony and Cherry kept in touch with her by e-mail and over the phone. When their daughter was born in December 2010, they couldn't have been more thrilled.The names of the biological parents appear on the birth certificate and getting the baby back to China generally isn't a problem. Of course their "million dollar baby" just might cost even more as she grows up in China. The cost for the child's education in China as a US citizen could be staggering, but Tony said they did not even think about that because they wanted a baby so much.Seeing their child growing up, Tony and Cherry wanted her to have some company. They persuaded Amanda to become their surrogate mother again. They were expecting a second child in February, but the more the merrier, as they will be having twins.
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