Job Discussion Forums

august03 · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 159 Location: Jiangsu, China

I see this in the title of many schools "....... Experimental Primary School".
Are they any different than normal schools?

MartinK · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 344

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Some experimental schools I have seen used textbooks imported from Hong Kong.
In most cases, the students were children of parents with HK residency rights. Needless to add they were mainly located in Guangdong.
But it would be wrong to assume they are more enlightened. As WOlf said, they are experimenting with new ideas, but whose ideas?
"Experimental" often is just a name tag like "international".
SOunds fantastic. Unfortunately, I can't take any advantage of it - I have no children!

august03 · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 159 Location: Jiangsu, China

thanks guys

this one claims that it is experimental in that if the students do not like a teacher then that teacher will be fired!

is this the norm?? Confused

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Oh, I see! In that contesxt, practically every Chinese school is "experimental".
Especially with foreign hirees!

struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

Explorer · Joined: 24 Apr 2003 Posts: 42 Location: China

There is a very stringent selection process for getting into the special experimental schools, says Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., Educational Therapist, Learning Disabilities Specialist, in an October 2000 article. She adds that: There are only a few experimental schools that are more 'cutting edge' and they are allowed to try more innovative teaching technique. In these schools, new techniques are tested, proven and then gradually integrated into all of the schools

The Chinese Education & Research Network (CERNET) explains:

The Ministry of Education decided in 1997 to set up 1000 experimental schools for modern educational technology/ All of them should make full use of modern educational technology, to promote the development and reform of basic education. The overall education of qualities in secondary and primary schools is strengthened as well. It also affects the searching for more effective teaching patterns. 433 secondary and primary schools are confirmed to be the first group of experimental schools in January, 1998. They have yielded fruitful results at stage in the experimental work of research in disciplines, knowledge acquisition, and skill-training.

The Central Scrutinizer · Joined: 23 Oct 2003 Posts: 20

The word 'Experimental School' is the experiment, to find out if the idea of experimenting will catch on on with people like the word 'International School' in Beijing or 'School of Business' in Shang Hai has done. In Perl River area the word 'Experimental' is starting to pop up in a school names. Shen Zhen and Zhuahi are looking to become distinguished for progress in R&D in the coming years the way that Shang Hai has for economics and Beijing for internationalization. The word 'Experimental' has nothing to do with teaching English, but rather advertises the policy related to making the Pearl River area into a hotbed of R&D.