When: 2:00 p.m., Thursday, June 1, 2017 

Where: Lecture Hall 127, School of Education, Peiyang Park Campus  

Lecturer: Duan Xuexin, the professor from school of precision instrument and opto-electronics engineering, Tianjin University 

About the Lecture: Much has been made of the success of the Chinese educational model, recently. Pupils from Shanghai were ranked the leading group in recent PISA international test results, while the British government is bringing in Chinese mathematics teachers to tutor mathematics teachers in the UK, on how to improve their results. At the same time, the downside of the Chinese educational model is also well known – an unrelenting focus on test results; high stress levels, for teachers, pupils and parents; little time for extra-curricular pursuits; long days and nights at cram schools; ‘Pressure Cooker’ schools where nothing but test preparation is allowed. How do Chinese parents abroad bring up their children, and what are their priorities in education? Do they send their children to coaching colleges? Do they insist on retaining Chinese language? Are their children expected to be top performers? And if so, is this the case? The presentation examines the child-rearing and educative priorities and practices of Chinese-Australian parents, and discerns evidence of continuity, change and hybridity in their choices.

Organizer: School of Education