Second Annual Sino-Canada International Educational Exchange Forum—A BIG SUCCESS

On July 18th the Second Annual Sino-Canada International Educational Exchange Forum, entitled Follow Dr. Norman Bethune to China was held in Bayi Secondary School in Beijing. This forum was hosted by Tianjiao International Education Group (Canada) Ltd and co-hosted by Coquitlam School District, and the Education Bureau of Zhengzhou Erqi District, Education Bureau of Shangqiu.

The purpose of the forum is to promote educational dialogue between China and Canada. It was attended by government officers, principals, and teachers from more than 80 secondary and elementary schools from China and Canada. Over 500 people attended this significant forum.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. James Zhan, the chairman of Organizing Committee, the president of Tianjiao International Education Group (Canada) Ltd. delivered a speech. Firstly, he welcomed everyone present and gave his best wishes to the forum, then he expressed his full confidence in the education intercommunication between Canada and China, and he said the Tianjiao Group would try its' best to promote the development of this intercommunication as before. Later, Mr. Stuart Mackinnon, vice chairman of Organizing Committee and Mr. Graham Mulligan, advisor of the Organizing Committee read congratulatory letters from the Prime Minister of Canada and the Premier of British Columbia.

At the morning session, 50 secondary and elementary schools signed "Letters of Intent on Setting Sino-Canadian Friendship Schools". Meanwhile, a "Letter of Intent on Setting Sino-Canadian Friendship School Districts" was also signed between Coquitlam School District and Education Bureau of Zhengzhou Erqi District, and Education Bureau of Shangqiu. In addition, artists from the Calgary Arts Academy, Bejing Shaolin Wushu School and the senior citizen chorus of Wusheng East li Chaoyang District gave wonderful performances.

The theme of the forum was "Education and Citizenship". In the afternoon session ten delegates gave the audience excellent speeches. They included Ms. Sonia Hutson, associate superintendent of Vancouver School Board, Mr. Dongliang Li, director of Education Bureau of Zhengzhou Erqi District, Ms. Patricia Gartland, district school principal of Coquitlam School District, Mr. Zhixin Zhang, principal of Xinhua Secondary School of Tianjin. They talked about the state of education in each country, the problems they faced and methods of how to make education reforms. In the end, they had a similar opinion that education, especially the elementary and secondary education, were the base of a country's future, and making deeply education intercommunication was the same hope between Canadians and Chinese.