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UK visitors amazed
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Han Ximin
A VISIT to observe the advanced implementation of information technology in Shenzhen's schools deeply impressed members of Teachers International Profession Development (TIPD) delegation from Buckinghamshire of Britain.
Led by Simon Lockwood, country advisor from the Local Education Authority of Buckinghamshire, the delegation visited four schools including Shenzhen Middle School, Shenzhen Experimental School and Nantou Primary School from May 21 to 31.
"This trip is brilliant," said Lockwood, after sitting in on a computer-aided geography lesson at Shenzhen Foreign Languages School. "Compared with schools in the UK, these four key schools obviously have far more advanced facilities."
In Shenzhen Experimental School, the delegation was surprised to see a mini history museum and observatory respectively designed by the China History Museum and the Zijinshan Observatory in Nanjing. They were very impressed by the teaching methods as well as the students' ability to keep pace with a fast-paced lesson.
The UK teachers said they envied their Chinese counterparts for having greater access to use and training of IT skills, particularly the fact that teachers here only have to teach 15 lessons per week. "In the UK, the teachers need to give 40 lessons a week," said Paula Patterson from Burnham Grammar School, adding that teachers seemed to be more valued in China and Chinese teachers have more opportunities for on-the-job training, a vital prerequisite for good use of IT.\;
Since the 1990s, especially after Shenzhen was designated by the Ministry of Education as an IT education experimental area of the nation's middle and primary schools, Shenzhen has put great effort in the spread of IT in schools and building a network connecting all the schools. \;
According to statistics from the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau, of 450 middle and primary schools in Shenzhen, 82 per cent of schools have a LAN (local accessible network) link to the Internet. Starting this September, IT courses will be offered to all students above Grade 3 in primary schools.
At the same time, IT training classes are held for teachers. Now 80 per cent of the teachers with LAN access can use computer to prepare lessons while more than 70 per cent can design their own teaching programme on computers.
Though the visit was very short, most of the British visitors felt they gained a lot. "The most important effect of the visit was that it gave us the opportunity to step outside our own schools and the petty day-to-day issues and worries and, with the help of Chinese colleagues, reassess and re-affirm our philosophical commitment to and belief in education," said Lockwood.
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