Australian students with a Chinese background have long been respected in NSW schools for their diligence and conscientious attitudes towards learning and school. After my first experience of China, 12 days in the exciting metropolis of Shanghai, I can understand more completely why these students are excelling in our schools.
To say that the Chinese value education highly is an understatement.
What I experienced in the universities and schools visited on this TEV exchange demonstrated just how profoundly the Chinese support education and invest in the future of learning. The leading educationalists that addressed our group were passionate and impressive, up-to-date and interested in transformation. They spoke often about innovation, creativity and the need for Chinese students to move beyond the traditional notions of what education involves.
Dr Shungyuan Shi accompanied our group and was a constant source of information and insight into the Chinese system. I enjoyed his conversation greatly and look forward to our ongoing collaboration with great enthusiasm. Shungyuan does a great job for NSW DET in forging closer ties with China and was instrumental in our group meeting the Vice-Mayor of Shanghai, Endi Shang, who took time to welcome us.
I would like to mention one of the institutions we visited in greater detail.
- Online Higher Education for students seeking both a degree and non-degree pathway
- Accessible education via television for citizens
- To support primary and secondary schools with educational technology
Professor Wang Min was particularly passionate about iPad trials in education and wanted to know what Australian schools are doing in this regard. The Digital Resource Centre we were shown at the university had a focus on mobile, situational and collaborative learning. It was very impressive.
Interesting enough, the wikipedia entry for the university really needs updating. The institution I visited and the educators I met, like Professor Wang Min, Dr Jun Xiao and Associate Professor Ran Zhang have taken the university way into the 21st century.
It was evident everywhere we went in Shanghai that education is given significant investment. The schools and universities were well-resourced and impressive. We were treated with much respect by fellow-educators.
It was a thoroughly rewarding personal and professional experience to be the guest of the Shanghainese people, especially the educationalists of the city.