向中國取經！60位上海教師赴英國教數學

Teachers from China will be sent into English schools as part of a taxpayer-funded programme designed to raise education standards, it will be announced today.
今日新聞報道，作爲納稅人基金贊助項目的一部分，中國老師將被派往英國的學校來提高教育水平。

For the first time, a team of 60 teachers from high-performing schools in Shanghai will be hired in an attempt to promote Chinese-style teaching methods in the state education system.
由60名教師組成的隊伍全部來自上海重點學校，他們將首次被聘請，力圖在英國教育系統中促進中國式教學方法。

The reforms – covering maths – will involve on-the-job training for teachers in England alongside high-level master-classes for pupils.
在數學教育方面的改革，還包括培訓當地的中學數學老師。

It comes amid concerns that schoolchildren in England are underperforming compared with their peers in the Far East in subjects seen as vital to the nation’s economic future.
這一項目的實施，主要源於英國學生的數學水平普遍低於遠東地區的同齡人，而數學對於國家的經濟發展至關重要。

International league tables published late last year suggested that 15-year-olds were the equivalent of three years behind those in Shanghai and between one and two years behind pupils from Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan.
去年發佈的國際排行榜顯示，15歲英國中學生的數學水平普遍比上海落後三年，比新加坡、香港、韓國和日本落後一到兩年。

Elizabeth Truss, the Education Minister, who took part in a fact-finding visit to China last month, said the Government was “determined to drive up standards in our schools and give our young people the skills they need to succeed in the global race”.
英國教育部長Elizabeth Truss上個月對中國進行了實地考察，表示英國政府“立志提高學校的教育水平，讓年輕人學習必備的技能從而在全世界比賽中脫穎而出。”

But the move has been attacked by teachers’ leaders in England who claimed evidence of the success of Shanghai schools had been overstated.
然而這一舉動遭到了英國教師領袖的抨擊，他認爲上海學生數學水平絕對是言過其實，有誇大之嫌。

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said Shanghai was home to the “wealthiest and most highly educated” Chinese and international league tables failed to take account of performance in rural provinces.
國家教師協會的總祕書長Christine Blower 說，上海飽含“最富有、教育水平最高的”中國人，而國際聯盟沒有把中國的偏遠地區包含在內。

“Good maths comes with constant practise but there seems to be an aversion to practise in this country. We have a lot to learn from China.”
“數學好源於堅持不懈的練習，然而英國人普遍厭惡它。這方面我們需要多向中國學習。”Under a deal struck with Shanghai’s Municipal Education Commission, up to 60 English-speaking maths teachers will be brought over to work in state schools for at least a month.
在和中國市政府教育機構緊密溝通之後，60個會說英語的數學老師將赴往英國開始爲期至少一個月的教育工作。

From the autumn, they will be based in 30 new maths “hubs” – accredited schools that specialise and lead on maths teaching across a wide geographical area.
從秋天開始，他們將會分佈在30個新的數學“中心”——這些都是全國範圍內旨在發展數學領軍數學教育經過合格認證的學校。

DfE officials said the Chinese teachers will mainly train their English counterparts, focusing on areas such as helping struggling pupils with one-to-one coaching sessions, setting challenging homework and ensuring feedback is effective. It could also involve master-classes for pupils.
英國教育部官員說中國教師主要負責訓練他們的英國老師，集中領域包括幫助學習困難的學生進行一對一的教學，設置有難度的作業以及保證有顯著成效。這還包括對小學生的更深層教育。

At the same time, two maths teachers from each of the 30 hubs will travel to Shanghai to get additional training in Chinese methods. The entire programme will cost around £11m.
與此同時，每個中心還會派出2名數學老師來上海學習中國的教育模式。整個項目大概預計花費在1100萬英鎊。

Mrs Truss said: “As part of our long term economic plan, we are determined to drive up standards in our schools and give our young people the skills they need to succeed in the global race.
Truss表示：“作爲我們長期經濟計劃的一部分，我們立志提高學校的教育水平讓年輕人學到他們得以立足的技能。”

“Good maths qualifications have the greatest earnings potential and provide the strongest protection against unemployment.
“高數學水平有可能帶來高薪，以及能有效抵抗失業風險。”

“We have some brilliant maths teachers in this country but what I saw in Shanghai – and other Chinese cities – has only strengthened my belief that we can learn from them. They have a can-do attitude to maths and I want us to match that, and their performance.”
“我們的確有很厲害的數學老師，但當我觀察了上海以及中國其他城市，不得不堅信我們可以向中國學習。他們那種對數學有一種一切皆可能的態度，我希望我們能做到像他們那樣。”