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Students from China want to go to the Maharishi School because they realize it is not just a "testing machine" but offers a balanced education and an opportunity for them to grow in a nourishing environment.
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by Global Good News staff writer
22 April 2011
Richard Beall, director of Maharishi School, and his wife Andrea spent March traveling in China, meeting students and their parents, accepting applications for admission, and signing agreements with partner institutions.
Maharishi School continues to gear up its boarding school program and anticipates from 5 to 15 students from China will be enrolling this fall. The School already has two students from China.
The Bealls traveled with a group of other school administrators as part of a recruiting tour organized by the Cambridge Institute for China Business Research. They participated in 15 school fairs in 10 cities around the country, meeting with interested students and parents.
Dr. Beall said that many Chinese parents see an American education as a route to a successful career. By attending a U.S. secondary school, their children can improve their English skills in preparation for attending a
U.S. university.
Maharishi School held a special appeal for some of the students, and during their tour the Bealls identified 44 potential applications for enrollment.
One parent attending a fair said his daughter told him she didn't want to simply become a "testing machine": someone who puts in long hours in order to do well on national standard exams.
He told her,"Your competition is not just sitting next to you. In your career you will have to compete with students all over the world." His daughter would have to be creative, he believed, to succeed in a global village. And he felt Maharishi School was the best place for her to grow, Dr. Beall said.
In addition, the students saw Maharishi School as a place for more balance and the chance for other activities. And with the smaller class sizes, they appreciated that their education could be more individualized.
While in China, Dr. Beall also formed partnerships with schools in three cities: Beijing, Chengdu, and Qingdao, where a school consortium wants to establish a Maharishi School on their campus.
"We have an exciting possibility for expanding our enrollment, our diversity, our resources, and our mission," Dr. Beall said.
The Chinese students will be placed in the homes of host families.
© Copyright 2011 Global Good News®
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