Education takes progressive turn

John Dewey, the founder of the progressive philosophy of education, must be turning in his grave. Not out of anger, but with glee.

Dewey, who lectured extensively in China between 1919-1921, is widely known as one of the founders of the progressive education movement, belonging to a school of thought which attaches great importance to a child's overall social development.

While education in China is almost as old as its culture and dates back thousands of years, historically it was seen more as a means of instilling a sense of discipline in the people than in offering them enlightenment. In addition, very little importance was attached to any notion of pre-school education.

Fast forward to the present. As of 2007, China had 129,100 kindergartens, according to a report released earlier this year by Research In China. The agency, which provides business intelligence in various fields, also put the number of China's kindergarten teachers in 2007 at 951,900.

However, most of China's kindergartens are regimented institutions where the emphasis is on teacher-directed class instructions, which is interpreted as teaching the children to be obedient and disciplined, and fostering a sense of respect.

But, even as China takes big strides toward becoming an even more important player globally, it has been slowly and steadily shaking off some of its rigid social norms.

In line with this, there has been a rapid rise in the number of international kindergartens in China in recent years, reflecting a growing awareness of the importance of children's overall development.

While most schools are concentrated in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Nanjing, the fact that there are now alternatives to a traditional kindergarten education shows China's willingness to adapt to an increasingly globalized world.

With the high influx of expats coming into China each year and the increasing purchasing power of a growing number of well-to-do Chinese nationals, the demand for these type of schools has also jumped.

While many still prefer to send their children to traditional public schools, curiosity regarding international kindergartens is definitely on the increase, according to Annie Kwan, curriculum director at Beijing Star River Telford Bilingual and International Pre-school.

Located in the city's Chaoyang District, with around 80 students, it is one of the many schools adhering to Dewey's progressive education theory, emphasizing social development.

"Our curriculum adopts creative learning to foster and develop each of our students' physical, social, and emotional abilities through games blended with educational activities," Kwan said. "We look to develop the overall personality of a child, not just the academic side."

This is reflected in the facilities that the school provides. It has a sensor room (where kids learn about the world and universe through 3-D experiences), two playgrounds, exercise machines, personal bikes, a sports and leisure room, an art room and even a climbing wall for recreational purposes.

The school has five classes, with children aged between 1 and 6, and the pupil-teacher ratio is 4:1.

Another such school is EtonKids International Kindergarten, situated in the Global Trade Mansion in Beijing.

EtonKids also adheres to the principle of holistic learning, believing that each child is special and all have different types of intelligence, skills and talent.

As opposed to Telford Bilingual and International Pre-school, where group instruction is prevalent, EtonKids believes in individual lessons and small group instruction.

This is in tandem with its idea of providing children with the flexibility to choose, use their own intelligence and develop their talents.

(China Daily 06/01/2009 page7)