New Publication

 It is with great satisfaction that I announce the release of a new book, the culmination of eight years of collaboration between Dalton International, Wenzhou Dalton Elementary School, and Wenzhou-Kean University. This volume represents a significant contribution to the global Dalton movement, uniting historical scholarship, visionary perspectives, and practical implementation strategies.

The book has been authored by Roel Röhner, Agata Rohner, and René Berends, with myself serving as Editor‑in‑Chief.

Its scope is comprehensive:
A historical account of the Dalton Plan and its evolution across cultures.
A forward‑looking vision articulated by René Berends, situating Dalton education within contemporary pedagogical discourse.
Practical frameworks for implementation in primary and junior high schools, including assignments, contracts, study labs, and home systems.
My own original programmes, such as the Global Citizenship Lab and Wellbeing Program, designed to embed ethos, pathos, logos, and praxis into daily school life.
Portfolios and tools for students and teachers, offering concrete applications of Dalton’s pillars: independence, responsibility, cooperation, reflection, and efficiency.
This publication harmonises Dutch educational excellence with Chinese cultural depth, reflecting the bicultural ethos of Wenzhou Dalton School and the academic partnership with Wenzhou Kean University. It is not merely a handbook but a manifesto of Dalton International’s mission: to cultivate reflective, responsible, and globally engaged learners.
The book stands as both a scholarly resource and a practical guide, affirming that Dalton education is a living tradition—adaptable, innovative, and profoundly relevant to the challenges of the twenty‑first century.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Jahirul Mullick for his involvement in this publication.

XXVII International Dalton Congress in Wenzhou, China.

More XXVII DI Congress impressions. A very warm welcome, children's performances, scientific debate, visit to Wenzhou experimental School and Wenzhou-Kean University.

XXVII International Dalton Congress in Wenzhou, China.

 I was proud and honoured to be nominated to give the welcome speech and closing remarks during the XXVII International Dalton Congress in China, Wenzhou. It is with great pleasure and privilege I opened and closed this year’s Congress.

“It started out more than one hundred years ago with mixed aged, mixed ability children the summer of 1904 in Elementary Public School in Waterville. That year Helen Parkhurst introduced assignments, learning tasks, changed the arrangement in her own classroom, introduced corners to stimulate socialization between students. That year, in Waterville self-regulation in Dalton education was born. That was the first impulse in Dalton education to prepare children for a wholesome life of peace and harmony with others in a community, society and surrounding environment”.

XXVII Dalton International Congress in China

 The Dalton International Foundation XXVII Annual Global Congress 2024 is set to take place in Wenzhou, China, from 13 to 17 November 2024.

Our theme is centred around self-regulation, and how the Dalton approach can go beyond the boundaries of traditional education and enables the acquisition of skills fostering lifelong learning. The title of our XXVII DI Congress is "The social and individual dimension of self-regulation: Navigating the global challenge”.

Below, you will recognise the venues and accommodation. Detailed information on these aspects is provided below for your convenience.

Venues:

The XXVII DI Congress 2024 will be held in one venue in Wenzhou Dalton Elementary School, as the main headquarters for the first Congress day. Second Day of the Congress will take place at Experimental School of Wenzhou, Dalton School to be and Wenzhou Kean University.

We recommend booking your flights on 12 or 13 of November to China as the Congress program will start early in the morning next day. All participants will be accommodated in Marriott Hotel Wenzhou. . The hotel address is: No.4427, Oujiang Lu, Lucheng District, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province.

For this 27th edition of the traditional congress, the following speakers will be present: management team of Dalton International, representative from the management team of Ascham School in Sydney, board members of Dutch Dalton Association, researchers from Saxion University, the management of department of pedagogy faculty from Wenzhou Kean University, board members of Austrian Dalton Association, the management team and teachers from member schools of Dalton International from The Netherlands, the management team of Shenzhen Dalton International School, Wenzhou Dalton International School, the representatives from city government.

All sessions will be streamed live. Our public will consist of representatives from other Dalton Schools across the world, parents, directors, teachers, students of Pedagogy.

Our honorable guest, President of Dalton International Roel Rohner will open this year’s congress.

On 14 November the second day of the Congress there will be a study visit to two Dalton Schools, members of Dalton International in Wenzhou and in the afternoon a study evening at Wenzhou Kean University.

The subject matter of the conference is to become an inspiration for scientific reflection, which will result in scientific publications on The social and individual dimension of self-regulation: Navigating the global challenge.

The results of the conference will be presented in the conference brochure in cooperation with Dalton International Foundation, under the scientific umbrella of Wenzhou Kean University and the city authorities from Educational Bureau of Wenzhou.

You can see the detailed program and register in the link below:

https://jsj.top/f/v6seB2

XXVII Dalton International Congress Wenzhou, China

 Save the date!

On Saturday, 16 November 2024, the XXVII Dalton International Congress will take place in Wenzhou, China.

This magnificent ten million people city will host this year’s our global event. We welcome all the participants from the Dalton world to our largest International Dalton Congress.

The main theme of XXVII DI Congress is “The social and individual dimension of self-regulation: Navigating the global challenge”.

Experience Dalton education based in Wenzhou, and join us in the place where east meets west. Nestled in the heart of Wenzhou, our Dalton International community offer to their students and parents an exceptional blend of Helen Parkhurst roots and a rich Chinese ancient philosophy.

Discover with us a truly unique and captivating Dalton adventure, where planning, self-organization, responsibility, independence, mutual learning and reflection are part of everyday living.

Where Dalton education goes beyond the boundaries of traditional education and enables the acquisition of skills fostering lifelong learning. Delve into the world, where children are stimulated to develop themselves as a person, through and with others.

Keep an eye on program and the keynote speakers. We will soon open the registration.

For more information contact:info@daltoninternational.org

The workshops in Dalton Tokyo.

Yesterday's seminar in Dalton School Tokyo Junior and Senior High School concerned "Leading Professional Learning in International Dalton Schools". The seminar was led by dr Agata Röhner. During the seminar the team of teachers was building a mutual Dalton learning culture in their school using twenty agreements of Independency on a school's, teacher's and children's level.

My speech and teacher training during the D.I. Congress 2023.

 During two days training in Dalton College Izmir in Turkey, we were working out together with the team of teachers the structure and architecture of Dalton International learning culture in International Dalton Schools acros the world, starting with Dalton Model of school and classroom management across the world.

During my D.I. 2023 Congress speech I examined and analyzed the importance of differentiation in terms of Dalton education based on cultural dimensions and worldview along with the efective ways of achieving it.

D.I. Congress 2023 "Dalton as a way of life for today and for tomorrow".

Thank you to all our Dalton International Congress 2023 participants and speakers. Your performances have impressed and inspired the audience. Thank you for your meaningful speeches and enthusiastic participation. Your taking part in our Congress “Dalton as a way of life for today and for tomorrow” ensured the grand success of the event.

 Thank you to our special guests: İbrahim Hakki Kocatas from the Ministry of Education, Serdar Aktepe the head teacher of Seyrek primary school, our partner government school, Doğan Ahmet Otay, project manager and consultant from the city government.

Special gratitude to Dalton College Izmir for sharing their wonderful space and being the most courteous hosts. An enormous gratitude to participants from Ministry of Education as well as city councils from Turkey, thank you for being our honorable guests. 

We hope to see you all in the coming year as well!

D.I. 2023 Forum "Reflect on the past, unfold the future" has come to an end.

Photo commemorating Dalton International event "Reflect on the Past, unfold the future". In the picture: speakers, hosts, and guests of the Forum. 

Thank you for a meaningful and valuable time, see you next year.

The new Dalton International School to be in Wenzhou.

 The new challenge. The new Dalton International School to be in Wenzhou, in which I am honored to be a part of a school board. We are looking forward to the official opening of the school combined with Dalton International Congress in September 2024. 

The school is planned to have 3,500 students.

Dalton International is proud to guide the Dalton process in that school.

Pictured here: a plan of the school, photos from the construction, our visit to city government.

Dalton International Forum 2023.

During the Forum, our director Agata Röhner delivered a speech on happiness and well-being. An insight into the structure and organization of well-being in International Dalton Schools across the world was analysed.
A speech was delivered to academics, Wenzhou city authorities, parents and teachers of Wenzhou Dalton Elementary School.
The main aspects discussed concerned:
How to adopt a whole school approach?
How to establish a dedicated leadership team to drive implementation?
How to prepare the school and staff?
How to provide meaningful engagement with families?
How to create valuable opportunities for student voice and engagement?
What is the review of research on whole-school approaches to wellbeing?
What are the limitations?

Dalton International Symposium in Wenzhou 2023.

An interesting panel discussion with Zhou Wenye, Professor, from Institute of Curriculum and Teaching, East China Normal University and Wang Hongman, Vice President of Wenzhou Education and Teaching Research Institute, Liz Zhang, a directore of Shenzhen Xinhua Dalton School and Agata Rohner on a future focused education.

Main aspects of the discussion were among others:

1. In the meantime, the social environment is challenging to educational works. We all face a lot of anxiety and confusion. Why in these circumstances, we need to give more space and trust to schools and teachers? And how can we all contribute to this task?

2. Under the International background, what are the familiar challenges to all the schools, teachers, and educators in the world nowadays? What could we do to deal with it?

3. Educationists started to talk about future-focused education thirty or forty years ago, but although we use many new words, our education systems have not changed very much. In what sense, Dalton education is more actual nowadays than before?

4. How can we all balance “4Cs”: creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication together with ‘soft’ skills— for example, innovation, agility, entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and design thinking?

5. How can we make a Dalton school, a school rather than test and exam training center full of bureaucracy and administrative work? How to balance parents' expectations with what is possible for each and every child?

D.I. Symposium in Wenzhou 2nd of July 2023.

Dalton International would like to cordially invite educators and parents for a Dalton International Symposium that will take place on 2^nd of July from 1p.m. till 6 p.m. in Wenzhou. The event will take place in Wenzhou Elementary Dalton School. The main theme of the symposium is “Reflect on the past, unfold the future”.

Join us for the discussion concerning the modern vision of Dalton education. The guests from Northeast Normal University, educational department of city Wenzhou, management of the school and board members of Dalton International will speak about how to raise independent, responsible, emotionally, and socially intelligent child of XXI century.

The discussion and lectures will also concern how to give the child a chance to express themselves and develop their character and personality in today's reality. On the other hand, the demands on learners and thus education systems are evolving fast. Therefore, the discussion will concern how to balance the demands of the parents and increase teacher’s autonomy. In the past, education was about teaching people something. Nowadays, it is about making sure that individuals develop a reliable compass and the navigation skills to find their own way through an increasingly uncertain and fast changing world.

It is necessary to examine what impact Dalton education currently has in the third decade of the 21^st Century.

Hope to see you there!

Below is the program of the symposium.