The world can be a classroom

Chinese education has constantly been criticized as rote learning and lack of creativity. But one woman has developed a new approach, putting the "players" at its very core. Her approach is a direct challenge to entrenched ideas about how children should learn.

Child-centered, and play-based, every single activity has an educational goal. The concept of "True Play" was created by Cheng Xueqin, some 20 years ago. Since then, it has been extended to 140 public kindergartens in Anji County, Zhejiang Province.

"We began to ask ourselves what the games of childhood are. We found out that what an 80-year-old grandma remembered were the games like moving home or being a bride. No adults were in control. This finding got us to return the right to play for the kids," said Cheng Xueqin, Anji Play creator. 

Learning through play

Anji Play isn't just the experience alone. A debrief is done after each play. Teachers film every child during their activities on the playground and let them learn from each other.

Education specialist Chen Xuefeng believes Anji Play marks a shift from the bookish education system in most schools which involves rote learning. She says these creative plays in stories, sharing, and negotiations, provide daily opportunities for kids to engage in communication, and may eventually turn their experience into knowledge. Above all, they can boost their confidence by learning and have a positive influence on their future. 

Despite some criticisms, such as "if the kids are being liberated, what will the teachers do?" or "if teachers are shut up and retreat, are they still teachers?" Cheng Xueqin believes that only through a deep transformation in child education, can we build a new model of education that can really promote children's spiritual development. 

She knows it won't be easy for any educational change in China, but she hopes Anji Play will let more people liberate children, in the process of re-discovering themselves.