You Never Stop Learning

Since in part I am here to teach here are some thoughts so far on the education scene. My first day in Shijiahuang as I settled in to the new country I wandered over to a nearby plaza. The city is bustling and supposedly one of smokestacks but frankly it is doing a major remake and is quite pleasing. The afternoon was sunny and I took some photos of school children flying kites. I sat down to absorb some more and before long the kids had noticed and the first "Hello" came floating over. To my amazement these ten year olds were soon clearly enunciating complete sentences. What is your name? Where are you from? I was soon surrounded by twenty of them eager to pose their own question. An adult offered to translate but really there was little need. Many kids apparently start at age eight, others eleven learning English and they seem to progress rapidly. The Chinese teachers themselves must be good because some of the pronunciation is very clear. This was a good first impression of school. I am told kids are worked very hard here and depending on age may be in classes in the evening and on week-ends. They also have homework which keeps any budding delinquents off the streets. Last Friday I went to the modern looking Xintai University. Very spacious with fountain and ponds. Not so well equipped on the inside. However about twenty second year english majors met with me on their one afternoon free of classes and just wished to natter. I have also been exposed to a private language institute which was preparing the next day to have the state assess whether it would be licensed. They phoned me up (by way of foreigners I had met the day before) and invited me to evening class. As it turned out they wished me and an Australian to act as judges for a debate. Lo and behold after stellar judging and more than 200 points awarded to both teams (they debated the use or overuse of the internet) the teams were tied. The teacher was very keen to have a winner but we felt a tie was honourable and the teacher deferred. To-day I solved a mystery. Periodically I hear music wafting on the air. Turns out it comes from a nearby school yard where the whole school of about 1500 kids fall in on the parade ground and go through drill. Unlike our schools where several grades are represented all these kids seem the same age and height. It is impressive to watch them in unison. As for my learning, I have learned to pass other bikes on the outside where possible. This dipsy doodle procedure payed dividends when I just managed to avoid a fine spray of spit from an old gentleman the other morning, which was aimed curbside.