Learning the lesson of China
A group of Lancashire teachers spent their holiday on an educational visit with a difference. Catherine Pascucci, director of languages at All Hallows Catholic High School in Penwortham was among them
Over the past three years I have been working closely with the Confucius Institute at UClan to promote the learning of Chinese at All Hallows.
The Director Feixia Yu, has provided us with a Chinese teacher each year to run extra-curricular Mandarin lessons – very popular with the pupils.
The chance to visit China seemed like a dream come true and after numerous school trips to European destinations this trip felt like an adventure, a real journey into the unknown.
The visiting group comprised advisors, headteachers and senior managers and six languages teachers from across Lancashire as well as three representatives from the Isle of Man Education Authority.
The visit was masterminded by Feixia and organised and led by Feixia and county advisor Phil Wood.
With only a little language to communicate with and minimal insight into Chinese culture and the Chinese way of life, we embarked on what was to be a life-changing experience from which we were all to learn far more than we could ever have expected.
The journey took us from London to the vast Chinese capital, Beijing, in the north east of the country where we spent six days visiting a number of schools, one of the many universities and the Beijing Education Authority, as well as seizing every opportunity to see the sights.
From here we took the overnight train to Xi'an, an ancient walled city situated at the start of the old Silk Route and home to the renowned Terracotta Warriors.
The last leg took us by plane to the town of Shunde in Guangzhou Province in the south east , where we were able to forge links with three schools.
Our final destination was Hong Kong – reached by ferry, where we spent a memorable day visiting the sights and doing last-minute shopping.
Throughout the trip we visited wonderful sights and ancient monuments, saw amazing modern buildings and structures and were welcomed into schools, colleges and universities.
We walked on the Great Wall, sat in the Birds' Nest Stadium, attended the Beijing Opera, cycled along the old city wall in Xi'an, rode in a rickshaw, visited the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, were entertained at a Tea House and were invited to banquets hosted by two education authorities and two universities. We ate like kings, lived in luxury and shopped till we dropped.
My overriding impression of China is of a country of stark and startling contrasts where east and west meet in surreal juxtaposition.
Ancient and modern are huddled together, shack-like houses are overshadowed by opulent business blocks and luxury hotels, scintillating new buildings stand out in relief against a drab, grey backdrop of utilitarian design and smog laden skies.
The streets are spotless but are lined with tired- looking trees struggling to hold up their dusty blankets of pollution.
Vast tracts of desert and mountain remain uninhabited whilst towns and cities are overwhelmed by their populations.
The complexity of the language contrasted with the simplicity of the people.
A small town has 2,000,000 people, the average school has 3,000 pupils and a typical classroom has 50 pupils. Yet everywhere there is an all-pervading sense of calm and order, purpose, progress and optimism.
The many comforting similarities we encountered with our own culture blended with some startling and fascinating differences.
Everywhere we went we were welcomed with warmth, generosity, enthusiasm and respect.
The people we met were without exception delightful: polite, charming, hospitable and unassuming.
We met with no arrogance, aggression or negativity but saw a people who were hard-working, resourceful, focused and determined.
We received a level of hospitality which will be difficult to match and we will remember for a long time the many kindnesses we were shown.
I set off weighed down with my luggage, my preconceptions, my gifts, school prospectuses and newsletters and returned humbled, inspired, loaded with gifts, weighed down with kindnesses, unforgettable memories, new friendships and renewed focus, enthusiasm and energy.
I can't wait to get started on building links with the schools we visited and working with some of the Lancashire schools on planning a programme of inter-school Chinese events for our pupils.
My head is buzzing with snap-shot memories from this trip of a lifetime I have been privileged to take part in and my heart is full of the joy of friendships forged and gratitude to the people we encountered and to those who made it happen. Before my head hits the pillow all I can say is a heartfelt xie xie.
>> Vote in our latest web poll
lepone: Every section and special feature can be found on a single page
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Preston
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
