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Better principals produce better pupils.
This has been the approach taken by a group of 25 principals fortunate enough to participate, learn and share best practices with their counterparts from the Far East.
Two Port Elizabeth educationists were part of a group of 25 from across the country who spent two weeks in Shanghai, China, in an effort to expose school principals to opportunities that can help them grow and develop their pupils.
Parsons Hill Primary School principal Clinton Saddler and Grey Junior School deputy headmaster Grant Butler were chosen to represent the Eastern Cape on the Shanghai study tour hosted by the International Centre for Teacher Education at the East China Normal University (ECNU).
The group, who left on October 12 for the 14-day study tour and return on Sunday, were selected from the leadership of the SA Principals’ Association.
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the SA sponsored the trip for the delegation to participate in the seminar and attend the International Confederation of Principals (ICP) Conference.
Butler said he was humbled to receive the opportunity to visit a city that is seen as the “centre of modern educational reform”.
“I have greatly enjoyed the discussions on integrating technology in education, digital leadership, 21st century teaching and learning strategies with policymakers, academic leaders and school principals from across Shanghai.
"[We’re here] to broaden our understanding of the work being done by educational leaders at a global level,” Butler said.
He said the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony was Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma, who is also second on the list of Fortune’s 2017 “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders”.
"[Jack Ma] urged us to consider that, as technology changes the world, so education must change.
“He said, ‘If we continue to teach children to remember and calculate, we are setting them up to compete against machines.
“We must teach creativity, adaptation, innovation, problem solving, conflict management and artistic expression’ — things that machines can’t do,” Butler said.
During the study tour, the principals visited six schools and the ECNU campus itself.
In addition they attended seven interactive lectures during the 14-day programme.
The visit to China by department of basic education officials and school principals is part of a country-level agreement entered into between China and SA six years ago.
Dr Peng Liping, of the ECNU, said having the school principals in China would further promote relations between the two countries and the friendship would encourage more opportunities in the future.
“The discussions on topics such as ‘how to be a school principal today’, ‘teacher professionalisation’ and ‘quality assurance’ shall enable you to better understand what we have learnt about China and its basic education and facilitate dialogue and discussions with your counterparts in school in Shanghai.
“You will also share ideas on how to be better school principals,” Liping said.