Educators in Shanghai share their insights and visions for the future of education

By Wang Han Source:Global Times Published: 2016-5-3 18:13:01

What kind of education does China's future generations need in order to stay valid and competitive in a tech-dependent global marketplace? And how can local educators draw on the distinctive strengths of the different international education systems that characterize Shanghai?

These and other critical questions were discussed at the first-annual WellingTEN lecture at Wellington College International Shanghai. Three experienced educators - Julian Thomas, Master of Wellington College in England, Ni Ruiming, Master of Shanghai Pudong High School and Gerard MacMahon, Master of Wellington College International Shanghai - shared their insights on domestic and global issues facing both educators and students.

 According to MacMahon, one important reason for organizing this new lecture series is to inspire critical thinking and thought-provoking discussions among teachers and students. "It is much less formal than presenting a conference paper, but it allows time for ideas to be developed and for prejudices to be challenged," he added.

MacMahon pointed out that the event was also an opportunity for Wellington Colleges to introduce their newest faculty members to the local public. "Both Julian and I are fairly new to our roles. He succeeded Sir Anthony Seldon in September, and I became Master in Shanghai in February," he said.

MacMahon graduated from the London School of Economics and trained as a teacher at London's Institute of Education. He began his career in education in 1988, becoming the headmaster at Al Khor International School in Qatar in 2012, the world's largest international school.

The WellingTEN lecture is a similar format to the popular TED talks, where one is asked to speak for 10 minutes on an intellectual topic to a wide audience. After the event, the Global Times (GT) conducted an interview with Gerard MacMahon (GM) to discuss his educational philosophy and his understandings of British and Chinese education systems.

GT: What are your school's standards for cultivating students?

GM: All children have talents and abilities that we want to encourage and identify. We don't ask "is this child intelligent?" but rather, "in what ways is this child intelligent?" So a Wellington pupil will, we expect, develop the Wellington identity: they will be inspired, intellectual, independent, individual and inclusive.

GT: Most Chinese schools evaluate students primarily on their academic performance. How does an international school like yours evaluate its students?

GM: Evaluation is less important than inspiration! One interesting idea from our WellingTEN discussion was whether the bias in education toward focusing on things that can be measured objectively has skewed our schools away from creativity, innovation and 'soft skills,' which are more valuable in life. Tests can measure a child's ability to carry out a calculation or recall a fact, but it is much harder to quantify creativity, empathy, integrity or courage.

GT: Can students from less-wealthy family backgrounds have an opportunity to attend your school?

GM: Most of our pupils' families are either wealthy or have generous employment contracts. However, we offer bursaries to families who need a little help with fees and also scholarships to talented pupils to allow them to benefit from a Wellington education. As the college grows, I hope we will be able to offer a broader range of scholarships so as to open these great opportunities to less-wealthy families.

GT: Have you noticed any changes in Shanghai's expat parents' educational needs?

GM: Their outlook has become more progressive, more international and more engaged in their host country. For these families, one of the attractions of bringing your children to live in Shanghai is that they will grow up with international friends, with an understanding of Chinese culture and, hopefully, with some fluency in Chinese. Consequently, in Shanghai they want an international school that celebrates the many backgrounds of its pupils and takes pride in the history, excitement and achievements of its host country, China.

GT: What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of British and Chinese educations?

GM: Chinese education is ranked among the best in the world, but I know that some Chinese parents are looking for schooling that is less focused on rote learning and more on developing skills and values. This is a perceived strength of a British education. On the other hand, British schools would be very grateful for the attitude to learning that Chinese children usually bring to school. Family culture in China values education and encourages academic achievement.

GT: How has Wellington Shanghai incorporated both education systems?

GM: We offer a broader focus on the whole child: on their values, their well-being, developing their aptitudes, including their cultural and sporting experiences. But because we know that we have the advantage of the support of family cultures that prioritize achievement, this broader focus can be in addition to, not instead of, the highest academic standards.

GT: As an experienced global educator, what improvements or changes do you feel China should make to lead our current education system toward a better direction?

GM: China should design its schools and curriculum to prepare its children not just for exams, but for flexible 21st century careers.  More importantly, China should seek to arm young people with the aptitudes and values required for a happy and fulfilling adulthood.  This will require China to develop much broader measures of educational success. People don't try to capture the quality of an apartment or a book or a holiday with a single measure; so why do we try to measure children in this way?



 

(From top) Julian Thomas, Master of Wellington College in England and Gerard MacMahon, Master of Wellington College International Shanghai speak at the first WellingTEN lecture.

Photos: Courtesy of Wellington College International Shanghai



 
Newspaper headline: Inspired, intellectual, independent


Posted in: Metro Shanghai

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