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. 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.