Arts & Culture

Innovative education method helps students to 'love learning'

Outdoor activities are central to the curriculum of Ci-Xing Waldorf School and includes constructing a hut using all-natural materials. (Photo courtesy of Ci-Xing Waldorf School)

• Publication Date：08/21/2008
• By  Thomas Godber

The mainstream education system in the ROC resembles those found in many East Asian nations, where learning by rote is the cornerstone of study. Under this system, some children suffer from stress early on in life, which can result in a suppression of feelings and a dulling of their natural sense of wonder. It is hardly surprising, then, that many children suffer from depression or lack of motivation.

A number of attempts have been made in Taiwan to rectify this state of affairs. One alternative educational model that has taken root is the Waldorf method. To date, there are three schools that have adopted this approach in Taiwan: the Leichuan and Fengle schools in Taichung City, and the Ci-Xing school in Yilan County. A host of kindergartens and nurseries in cities across the nation also employ the model.

Based on the work of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, literary scholar and educator, Waldorf schools take a holistic approach to education. While recognizing the importance of intellectual growth, teachers put equal emphasis on creativity, respect for the individual and unique forms of expression, as well as natural rather than forced development of the child.

Ci-Xing grew out of a nursery founded by Jhang Shun-shu in 1976. In 1999, Jhang visited various countries in search of more child-centered forms of education and encountered the Waldorf method in Germany. After adopting the Waldorf principles at her nursery, in 1999, the Basic Education Act was passed, and teachers and parents jumped at the opportunity to establish an "experimental primary school" as permitted by the legislation. In April 2002, they signed a contract with the local government, under which Ci-Xing would be publicly funded and privately run.

As in every Waldorf school, each class at Ci-Xing is accompanied through primary schooling by its own class teacher, who teaches all the class' main lessons, typically forming a close bond with the children in the process. In a main lesson, the children study a subject such as literature or biology for two hours every morning over a period of three or more weeks before switching to another.

It is believed that intensive classes allow the children to immerse themselves in the given field and make it their own. The main lesson may involve various activities that energize the students, such as physical movement, or those that add life to the subject matter, such as reciting a poem with a relevant theme.

No use is made of textbooks in the early years and students' work is not graded. Instead, teachers write stories and essays and draw colorful diagrams or pictures on the blackboard. Classes are based on lively and immediate exchanges between human beings, without the alienation and enervation, some might argue, that textbooks, videos and computers can induce. A teacher's passion, creativity, and devotion are seen as enough to stimulate a child's motivation to learn.

Ci-Xing has proven a popular choice among families in the local community. Currently, 405 students are enrolled at the school, with this figure expected to rise next academic year. According to a teacher at the school, many parents are waiting for the chance to enroll their children. And in fact, families have relocated to Yilan so their children can attend Ci-Xing.

One such family is that of 14-year-old Nai-wei. According to his father, Ye Tai-huang, "Nai-wei leads a very fulfilled life and is close to his classmates and teachers." He particularly enjoys art, woodworking, music, biology, sports, and eurhythmy--a creative form of movement unique to Waldorf schools.

The curriculum places strong emphasis on creativity, with much space given to free and full expression through the performing arts. Most children learn at least one instrument, and acting and singing are core activities in every grade. Creativity and a sense of reverence permeate every sphere of learning. For a science report, for instance, students might be called on to produce aesthetically pleasing handwriting, a hand-drawn border around the page edges, and a neat, colorful diagram. In this way, every assignment requires more than merely analytical and descriptive skills.

In keeping with the Waldorf philosophy, Ci-Xing brings children into direct contact with nature through its verdant surroundings. In grades one and two, students go on walks in the countryside; in the third and fourth grades, they learn to camp; and in grades six and seven, they take on mountains over 3,000 meters high, of which Taiwan has so many, in four- or five-day treks.

Toward the end of primary school, personal projects undertaken outside of class hours are an important part of the curriculum at Ci-Xing. Known as "Grade Nine Projects" in Taiwan, they can be on virtually any topic of the student's choice. A student might build a piece of furniture or even choose to learn a dance form. Though Nai-wei has yet to define his project, he is considering carrying out a study on marriage. He described with excitement how one of his classmates is doing her project on the color red: "Every morning, on her way to school, she takes photos of people and shops. She wants to explore people's experience of red."

Leichuan in Taichung, developed from the first Waldorf kindergarten in Taiwan, was founded by June Lin in 1995. It does not receive public funding and parents are required to pay about US$2,715 per semester in tuition--far below the fees of Waldorf schools in many other countries.

As of September this year, Leichuan will have between 120 and 130 students, including its first eighth-grade class. Lin and many of the parents would like to extend schooling to 12th grade, which would involve introducing mainstream exams.

Mirroring Waldorf schools around the world, reading and writing are introduced more gradually at Leichuan than in normal schools. There are so many characters to learn in the Chinese writing system, Lin noted, that in Taiwan, many parents keep first-grade children up till 11 or 12 p.m. "At the end of grade one, our Leichuan children only know between 40 and 50 characters, so some parents worry. But they also see that their children are skilled at so many other things, such as weaving, painting and drawing, and that they are very happy."

Indeed, in the course of their schooling, children at Waldorf schools develop skills in a broad range of crafts, which can include clay-modeling, knitting, sewing, woodwork and metalwork. They also do gardening, using exclusively organic methods.

Li Huei-chen has two children at Leichuan. She said that they have behaved differently from their mainstream counterparts since kindergarten. "While other children would cry and scream when dealing with problems, my children used [verbal] communication. They take the initiative to do things and don't need parents standing behind them saying, 'Do your homework!' You just need to be there for them."

With its holistic approach and respect for the individual, Waldorf education is well suited to embracing children of different strengths and abilities. Lin has many stories of struggling children who came to her school and changed. One of them, Pei-syuan, suffered from anxiety before coming to Leichuan. As her mother, Hsieh Hui-jun, related, "Before going to bed, she would worry that her bag wasn't ready for the next day because her teachers would punish--even spank--students if they forgot things or performed badly. When Pei-syuan got home, she was always irritable and would vent her anger on her younger brother and sister." Hsieh recalled how her daughter would spend all weekend worrying about Monday's test on abstruse ancient texts written in classical Chinese, such as the writings of "Lao Tzu," that she had to memorize.

Pei-syuan has been at Leichuan for two years now. Her mother said that rather than being forced, she is now driven by a desire to learn, and has been given space to discover her individual strengths and talents.

The inspiring stories of these schools and their students make it clear that the children of Taiwan could have much to gain from Waldorf education. As yet, there is no evidence of how Taiwan's Waldorf graduates fare as adults. But for now, parents at the school believe their children are being given what they deserve--a childhood filled with joy and excitement. One parent's statement sums it up: "Waldorf education allows children to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and encourages them to love learning."

Copyright © 2008 by Thomas Godber

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