A Visitor from Chinese Waldorf School in Chengdu
All I could think was WHAT COURAGE to start a Waldorf school in China. I heard about the school in Chengdu when I was at the Goetheanum. I had been teaching English in China and knew about how the children suffer in a system of education copied from the Russia communist schools of the 1950s. The goal is UNIVERSITY, from kindergarten on all that matters is passing exams and memorization. Homework can go on until midnight and extra lessons on the weekend. The children are EPLOITED. There are many suicides. Parents and teachers are also unhappy with the system. There is a huge need for a new education in China
 
I couldn’t believe Harry and Li were in Duncan British Columbia. I had met them in China and gone to the Waldorf Teachers conference with them in Thailand. Harry had helped start the first Asia Pacific Waldorf Conference with Olaf in ( ).
 Harry and Li were dressed in lovely red Chinese shirts to celebrate Spring Festival. The room was filled with many curious parents. We began by trying to sing a Chinese Spring Festival song. It was tricky to get our mouths around the Chinese words.
Harry then introduced us to some basic Chinese philosophy, which I am unable to do any justice to in explanation.
 Chengdu where the school is located is the birthplace of Lao Tzu and Taoism. Confucianism, Kung fu and Buddhism all became integral to Chinese culture and society. It is quite easy for the Chinese people to understand anthroposophy with their background of ancient Chinese philosophy. Chinese agriculture for centuries has been done according to the cycles of the moon as is done in a lot of Bio Dynamic farming. All the natural elements of the earth are in Anthroposophical and traditional Chinese medicine.
In Education Confucius wants us to live in a prayerful and playful way. He says every third person is your teacher.
 
School Preparation
When Harry (Huang Xiaoxing) and Li (Zhang Li) spent 9 years at the Rudolf Steiner Fellowship Community in Spring Valley New York doing their training. They have 3 children. Li is a kindergarten teacher and Harry a grade school teacher who is also translating Waldorf books into Chinese and creating web sites on Waldorf Education.
School Beginning
The Chengdu Waldorf School began in 2004 with 14 eager young adults who would train to become Waldorf teachers in the future. Mr. Li Zewu who studied in England to become a grade school teacher joined them. His wife became the music teacher.  There were and still are wonderful mentor teachers from around the world who helped in the birth of this school,
The school now has 2 Kindergartens and Grades 1-6. Students have lessons in English, German, handwork, local geography, history, music and farming.
The school is working very hard to integrate Waldorf education and Chinese culture. “ We have to fight all the way through in order to work with the state educational authority who will not allow politics and religion in the education.
Some School Challenges
Like many Waldorf Schools we are known for accepting difficult children.
1.   The Kindergarten teachers and children have a very long day with bus pick ups at 7:17 am, drops offs at home at 6:16pm
2.   Little Emperor children. Only children in china have every aspect of their lives controlled by their parents and grandparents. They have no freedom but also no boundaries and can be difficult to teach. Li said they were not used to playing in the dirt and parents would be very upset if they came home dirty, we had to provide play clothes.
3.   Some parents phoned every day to find out about the progress of their children, are they reading and writing yet? Adult education became essential.
 
Trust was broken in the Cultural Revolution and the country is in a phase of crazy commercialization. Our work is to gradually rebuild trust between teachers, parents and children. The values in Waldorf education
hopefully will curb the commercial single-minded striving for money. 
 
Adult Education
Many people have come to the school to learn about Waldorf education. All are often very moved by the experience of doing things like Eurythmy, Sculpture, Biodynamic Farming or Painting. Workshops are also presented in other areas. Even Education officers have come from all over China.
The school also puts on summer camps to train teachers and give children from private and public schools an experience of Waldorf education. Last year 38 children put on an English play for astonished parents. They had learned it in 9 days.
Waldorf education initiatives are now all over China and we have a fear that it is growing too fast.  Zhu Hai, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.
 
School Administration
The school is working in the light of anthroposophy and the three-fold order. We are a non-profit organization. It is difficult to work with consensus in a communist country. We can share decision-making but not carrying the responsibility in the will.
Asia Pacific Conference Thailand
For some of the teachers it was the first time they had left their country and seen a real Waldorf School in Thailand.
 
“ We have been cultivating a good energy and love around this place. Many people from around the world have been deeply moved by the beginning of this school.”(Harry) Like fresh water in a parched land the Chinese people are thirsty for this education. It is essential for the future of China. It is part of a PEACEFUL REVOLUTION.
 
I think everyone present that evening was inspired by the courage of Li and Harry and also amazed at the rapid growth of Waldorf education in China.
For different ways you can help the school go to the school website at Chengdu Waldorf school China
 
Monica Boyd
Mar 29, 2008,
Canada