When the school
bell rings, students at Hoppers Crossing Secondary College rush to enjoy
the afternoon sun. But a group of its students have headed off to a
land where school is their life.
Eight students and three teachers are visiting China’s Utahloy
International School, where primary and secondary students live on
campus and the school day starts at 7am.
The Chinese students finish school at 5pm, then study again from 8
to 10pm. The Hoppers Crossing students, who will live on the Chinese
campus for two days this week, hope to learn from this experience.
Year-9 student Blake says while Western students have greater
resources and access to the internet, his Chinese counterparts have more
dedication. He hopes to return from the trip with techniques to help
local students improve their commitment to study.
The year 9 and 10 students in the school’s leadership program –
Blake, Emily, Carlee, Olivia, Chris, Cameron, Lani and Xavia – all talk
about wanting to learn the differences between the Australian and
Chinese cultures and schooling.
For some, such as Emily, it is the trip of a lifetime, sponsored
by the school and its supporters. Emily has never been on an aeroplane,
let alone travelled overseas. Coming from a family with six children, she says it is her chance to “explore the world”.
Lani comes from a Chinese-Malaysian background. For her, it’s a
chance to visit her family’s homeland and practice Mandarin during the
time at the international school.
The students will also visit tourist highlights such as the Great
Wall of China, giving Olivia a taste of her possible future career as a
travel agent.
Teacher Kathryn Bordon says the trip will develop students’ leadership, organisation and communication skills.
