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    Back to Which Way, L.A.?

    Which Way, L.A.?

    Alternative Education Catches On in China

    For a century, European and American parents looking for an alternative, arts-based education for their children have embraced the principles of Waldorf Schools , developed in 1919 by an obscure Austrian mystic. Now the movement is catching on in a place famous for routine, highly structured learning.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    For a century, European and American parents looking for an alternative, arts-based education for their children have embraced the principles of Waldorf Schools, developed in 1919 by an obscure Austrian mystic. Now the movement is catching on in a place famous for routine, highly structured learning. After taking power in 1949, China's Communist Government eliminated illiteracy in that vast country -- a historic accomplishment. But now, education is one of the biggest problems facing the country. One consequence is the Chinese Waldorf movement, according to Ian Johnson in this month's New Yorker magazine.

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Caitlin Shamberg

      KCRW

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

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      Ian Johnson

      journalist and author

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