II just spent a weekend in Beijing representing a Canadian school trying to attract Chinese students to come to Canada. The Canadian government supports this by organizing the shows to encourage student immigration for a variety of reasons, one of them being that it is a great business. It means lots of money in the hands of Canadians through visas, taxes, income to private schools and so on. I really did not realize the extent that governments seek out students from all over the word.
Canada was not the only country represented there. There were booths from Poland( medical school), various universities in Italy and the United States, high schools from New Zealand and Australia and so on. It was great both walking around the conference centre and speaking with representatives of schools and school boards from around the world, but it was also great speaking to Chinese kids and asking them why they wanted to study in Canada.
Canada was not the only country represented there. There were booths from Poland( medical school), various universities in Italy and the United States, high schools from New Zealand and Australia and so on. It was great both walking around the conference centre and speaking with representatives of schools and school boards from around the world, but it was also great speaking to Chinese kids and asking them why they wanted to study in Canada.
I was asking a lot of the students why they wanted to study in Canada and I found the answers somewhat disconcerting. Of course, they had to say they wanted the cultural experiences they would get abroad, but then they went on to say that they heard the teachers were friendly in Canada and it was much easier to compete then it was in China. Are these the students we want to attract to Canada? Of course the best and brightest and competing very well, thank you, and proud of their success. One mother told me he son was 17th in ranking, whatever that means and whatever the criteria are for success in his city's schools.
Of course, it benefits Canadian schools to have students from all over the world in their classes and I hope more and more come, but for the right reasons, which would be to learn English in a school setting through talking with new friends, learn about Canadian culture and experience what it is like to live away from home in a different country, not because they perceive studying in Canada would be so easy.
The education Exhibit continues and I look forward to city new cities in China ( even if it is only inside a conference hall) and meeting new students,
On a side note, I was in Jinan today at another international fair and I had the opportunity of speaking with some teachers from Xian. They told me how much fun they were having an the international school. One was from Vancouver and the other from Maryland.
I think if you are a young licensed teacher, you can either choose to teach in your home country, get married with a local, buy the house and mortgage and so on, or travel to a country like China, make Chinese friends, see a different part of the world and learn about yourself. I was amazed when the guys told me they speak Chinese quite well now after only 4 years. Wow.
You do have options if you are a licensed teacher about life style and where and how you want to live. You can, in fact, live your dream, or do both as I did. Have the family, home, career and go abroad once retired. Ain't it wonderful to be human!
I think if you are a young licensed teacher, you can either choose to teach in your home country, get married with a local, buy the house and mortgage and so on, or travel to a country like China, make Chinese friends, see a different part of the world and learn about yourself. I was amazed when the guys told me they speak Chinese quite well now after only 4 years. Wow.
You do have options if you are a licensed teacher about life style and where and how you want to live. You can, in fact, live your dream, or do both as I did. Have the family, home, career and go abroad once retired. Ain't it wonderful to be human!
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