UIC's Secondary School Alliance held a workshop on "Educational Reform" on February 23rd, 2009 at the campus. Delegates of 57 secondary schools from China mainland and Hong Kong were invited to this event. Professor Kwok Siu-tong, Executive Vice President of UIC, signed a cooperation agreement with 19 secondary schools, including the Yali-China School in Changsha and Zhengzhou Foreign Language Middle School. So far, a total of 57 middle schools have signed a cooperation agreement and have built up a partnership with UIC.
An Exchange Platform for Higher Education and Secondary Education
A pioneer in educational reform, UIC promotes the concept of the Whole Person Education and the Liberal Arts Education, concentrating on quality education and well-rounded development. UIC expects close interaction with the secondary schools in the Alliance in order to explore the areas of mutual interest. Only in this way can secondary school education truly link up with higher education and make a joint effort to achieve the goal of cultivating well-rounded talents.
The agreement allows middle schools to recommend outstanding students to participate in the independent entrance examinations given by UIC. Students who are recommended by the allied middle schools will be given priority. Every year UIC will invite the allied secondary schools to participate in similar educational workshops.
The need for Talents in the New Times
In the education workshop opening ceremony Mrs. Fanny Law Former Secretary for Education and Manpower of HK delivered a speech entitled "Building a nation of talents and cultivating international citizens". Mrs. Fanny Law analysed the education in China, and she indicated that there were still some problems to be settled, such as the imbalance of distribution of resources in compulsory education, poor conditions of rural education, and ignorance of moral issues in exam-oriented education for students. She said education should catch up with world development and the demands of globalization.
Professor Kowk Siu-Tong delivered a speech entitled " The Needs for Talents in the New Times". He said the main purpose of the Secondary School Alliance is to create an innovative education model. The next generation needs a full range of skills and knowledge so that our country can develop further.
Many headmasters from Zhejiang, Guizhou, Shanxie, Hebei, and other areas participated in the workshop and visited Hong Kong Baptist University and some high schools in Hong Kong.
Input from School Principals
Quality Education
Deputy Principal Gao Chunzeng, First Middle School in Shi Jiazhuang City.
Mr Gao said China had a long way to go in the implementation of quality education, which was still in exploration. He shared with others experience in developing quality education in his school. Five aspects were referred to: first, to make a thorough shift of the conception of education; second, to elevate teaching in class into colorful learning experience for students; third, to be concerned about the physical and psychological heath of students; fourth, to create an environment for individual development; fifth, to promote the beneficial relationship between exam-oriented education and quality education.
Characteristics of Students
Principal Yang Lihua, the Third Experimental School in Guizhou Province.
Miss Yang said her school applied the model of mutual and cooperation. She pointed out that everyone checks who under a system of supervision and management. In supervision, an efficient mechanism of management would come into being.
Education for the International Environment
Principal Lin Weiming, Foreign Language School in Hangzhou City.
He expanded on two aspects: First, to set definite goals; Second, to strengthen teaching in special areas. Referring to the latter, he pointed out the need for promoting international exchange and cooperation. He added that it was good to expand Chinese teaching for foreigners and to create a mixed cultural atmosphere, and it was important to offer students various opportunities for development.
Exam-oriented Education Limits International Visions
Principal Yang Suzhen, Shanxi University Middle School.
In her opinion, college entrance examinations failed the obligation to widen the scope of education for students' further development. She put forward three aspects on the application of a new model: first, endeavor to provide students with a good environment and an inducive atmosphere; second, to extend and diversify courses; third, to follow particular goals, models and strategies in order to offer students more access to the practical world. She also stated that both basic and core skills should be developed.
By Huang Shanqing \Ma Shiyu \Ma Yangyuan
