STORY: China is very different to what I expected, says South African educator
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 21, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 31, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:47
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Richard Waddell working at the kindergarten
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua Correspondent
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua Correspondent
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten
7. SOUNDBITE 6 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua Correspondent
8. SOUNDBITE 7 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten
9. various of Richard Waddell singing with the children
10. SOUNDBITE 8 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten

STORYLINE:

Richard Waddell has been living in China for six years.

The 62-year-old South African has worked in six different countries as an educator.

Now he's the principal of an international kindergarten in downtown Beijing, where we had a chat about China in his eyes.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten
"I had been the principal of an international school before. So becoming the principal of a kindergarten was a little different. But the idea of a new country and perhaps new challenges was very exciting for me."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua Correspondent
"Is China different from what you expected before coming here?"

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten
"China was very different to what I expected. I had worked in quite a number of countries and then the opportunity came for me to come to China. I think what you hear when you are abroad about China and your imagination is so different to what the reality is.
I remember just from the very first moment I was here, I think all my preconceptions were changed, because there were so many trees, the place was so clean, it looked so modern.
And I looked at it and thought I could be in Europe, I could be anywhere in the world.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua Correspondent
"You've lived and worked in so many different countries, as you mentioned. What's unique about China compared to the others?"

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten
"China seems to even have a deeper history. And it seems to maintain that culture and that history. But in terms of development, I think China has just leapfrogged ahead above all the other countries that I've been to. When I move around Beijing and travel around China, I am absolutely flabbergasted at the way the country has developed. I know that has happened in quite a short time. And I think also in the West, we have preconceptions. We have ideas that are dated. So some of the images we have of China in our mind are 100 years old, even 60 years old, but of course, China has moved ahead.

SOUNDBITE 6 (English): WU YAO, Xinhua Correspondent
"What do you see in China in real life based on your first-hand experience?"

SOUNDBITE 7 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten
On my experience, I think when I come here, China is one of the safest countries to be in. I think safety is almost first in the mind of a citizen. Even from what I know as just the principal of the kindergarten, I know how much care the education department takes about the quality of our food, for instance. We're only allowed to buy food from certain providers that have been vetted by the government so that they are providing quality products of the highest standards. The health department will come in and do a check of our kitchen to make sure that it's clean.

And then also, as you come to China and realize how technologically advanced the country is, I think that just shows that it is producing excellent products, high-quality things, and is a leader in many of these fields. And so when I've seen that, I realized that the stereotypes that I've heard and even the preconceptions I had are totally false.

Waddell's kindergarten has about 60 children of different nationalities. They are studying a diverse range of subjects, such as art, science and music, with a particular emphasis on Chinese culture.

SOUNDBITE 8 (English): RICHARD WADDELL, Principal of Captain Kindergarten
"Even though we kind of have a lot of international children here, we keep this golden thread of Chinese culture strong and running through everything. We try to encourage an appreciation for Chinese art, for Chinese music, for Chinese stories, for Chinese poems. And so we love the history and the rich culture that there is in China. So of course we want that to play a very strong part in the school, but at the same time to make the children aware that there are other cultures and other countries to give sort of an international feel to the kindergarten."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)