Partnership

The friendship between Essex County and Jiangsu Province started with education links back in the late 1980s when the then Director of Education, Mike Sharp, was approached at a meeting by representatives from Jiangsu.   Mike had a great personal interest in China and had the foresight to realise that Essex schools could benefit from working with Jiangsu

During the 1990s, a number of Chinese teachers were placed in Essex primary and secondary schools for a year and we also ‘sent’ a smaller number of Essex teachers to Jiangsu for a year or a term.   At that time, communications (in particular email!) were a major problem and sustaining school-to-school links was challenging!

 

By 2000, however, we had our first pupil exchange up and running but it wasn’t until the ‘turn of the century’, with the growing awareness of China as an emerging world economic power, that things really started to look up.   The Government developed a policy of positive engagement with China and off we went!    We now have over 60 schools – infant, junior, primary, secondary and – from 2007 – special, with partner schools in Jiangsu.

In 2007 we appointed Lily Lin, who comes from QShanghai (next door to Jiangsu), as Education Adviser - Jiangsu.  With her natural asset of being a native speaker, along with her excellent knowledge of how things work (or not!) in the UK and China, Lily has enabled us to make rapid progress in extending the scope of our work with Jiangsu.  This has all helped to enhance the already firm friendship between Essex and Jiangsu and to make us one of the leading local authorities working with China.

Here you can read about our current activities on the broad ‘education’ front.

Contacts

For further information on the Essex-Jiangsu education links, please contact

Lily Lin
Education Adviser – Jiangsu
Standards & Improvement Service
Essex County Council
Schools, Children & Families Directorate
PO Box 47
CHELMSFORD
CM2 6WN

Tel. 01245 436158 (Standards & Improvement Service)
Mob.  07824 867627
email:  lily.lin@essex.gov.uk

Activities

The following illustrates education-related initiatives organised by, or on behalf of, Essex County Council.   At school level, of course, there is a host of things going on, including email penpal links; pupil exchanges; joint curriculum projects; and China days and weeks.   We’re looking to capture the breadth of this activity in future website development.

Over 60 school-to-school links, launched with financial support from the British Council, HSBC and Essex County Council.  Latest 25 schools to have their first visit to their new partner schools in May 2008, which will include a workshop in Suzhou for all partners, organised in conjunction with the British Council and the provincial and local education bureaux.

Jiangsu Centre in Essex – sponsored by Jiangsu Province, for the promotion of Mandarin and Chinese culture, based at the Anglo-European School, Ingatestone and the Harlow Education Consortium.  In advanced planning stages and due to be operational and officially opened in autumn 2008, providing an outreach service to over 570 Essex schools; and to local businesses.

International Youth Camp – an annual event run by our Outdoor Education Service on Mersea Island. Jiangsu provided the first ever Chinese group of participants in 2007 and is recruiting a second cohort for summer 2008.

Olympics Competition – organised by consultant and former Essex Headteacher, Paul Beashel, in conjunction with Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, this involves 300 pupils from 10 Essex schools. The final six winners will visit the Beijing Olympics in August 2008.  Air fares and associated costs paid by ECC; hosting in China by Jiangsu Province.   A reciprocal visit will take place for the London Olympics 2012.

Sports Summer Camp – 2008-2012, also organised by Paul Beashel to complement the Olympics Competition and provided ongoing momentum.  Will include sporting and linguistic activities.

Key Stage 2 Chinese Language and Culture Immersion Course,   Summer 2008 – Essex is one of five local authorities to be invited by the British Council to nominate 10 Year 4 or 5 pupils and one accompanying teacher to take part in this week-long event at the beginning of the summer holidays 2008.  We anticipate high demand from our primary and junior schools that have links with China.

Professional Development Programme for Chinese Teachers –  in conjunction with Jiangsu Provincial Department and Suzhou and Wuxi Education Bureaux, ECC will deliver a programme of teacher training which will take part in Jiangsu and Essex for the first time in May 2008.  Poised to be developed across Jiangsu Province in subsequent years.

For a list of Essex-Jiangsu Festival Events taking place with schools click here.