Schools in Bristol have three golden opportunities to develop China links

State and grant-maintained schools in Bristol are eligible to apply to be part of a national initiative to build China-literacy and understanding in UK schools through three golden opportunities, thanks to the work of independent, UK educational charity, Engage with China (EwC). Opportunities include a curriculum enrichment ‘China Challenge Day’ to be delivered for free in school, a fully-funded two-year A-level scholarship programme in China for its pupils and to participate in a global Model United Nations conference involving UK and Chinese schools at Chinese New Year 2024.

“When I was at school in the 1980s, China was a low-income country and no one paid it much attention, we certainly learnt nothing about it in school nor anything of the maritime trade links we had with China over centuries, including in Bristol,” says H-J Colston-Inge, one of the Directors of EwC. “Today China is a major superpower, 250,000 Chinese students come to the UK to study here every year and China is the source of many of the goods that we use on a daily basis. It is also a subject of much heated debate. Whatever one’s view of China, children in schools today are generally denied the chance to discover China, its culture and impact through the national curriculum. This does not equip or prepare young people well for the future or to think globally.”

To fill this knowledge gap and build what some in government departments and higher education have dubbed ‘China capabilities,’ EwC delivers China Challenge Days for whole year groups and at different educational key stages to excite and enlighten young people about former empires, inventions, population, climate change and cultural make-up. “China is a fascinating and diverse nation,” continues H-J. “Continental in size and with a history bound up with ours through our maritime trade and thirst for goods that came out of China such as silk, porcelain and tea, learning about China is enriching for students and positive for breaking down cultural barriers here in the UK.”

Bristol schools can benefit from some funding recently secured by EwC from a national charitable trust – who wished to remain anonymous - to deliver ten curriculum-enrichment ‘China Challenge Days’ free of charge.

Since the charity was established in 2018 by two British mandarin-speaking women, 3,000 pupils in primary and secondary schools across the country have benefited from such Challenge Days. Cities with a flourishing China-UK community and a relationship with China through sister or twin city links have been chosen as recipients for this funding and include London, Bristol (with its long-standing links to Guangzhou), Birmingham and Worcester. Dianne Francombe, of the Bristol and West of England China Bureau said, “it would be such an opportunity for pupils from Bristol to learn more about China through these EwC initiatives and to enable connections to its Sister City of Guangzhou in Southern China to foster and grow.”

As part of the project, EwC is also keen to pilot a new Shang Dynasty Challenge Day. The Shang ruled from 1600-1046 BC and is a period of technological advancement in bronze, writing and recording of information on oracle bones and poetry. Importantly, the Shang is one of the options listed in the Key Stage 2 history curriculum.

The second opportunity is for pupils due to take their GCSEs this summer to apply to be part of our second cohort of EwC Scholars and to enjoy a life-changing and fully-funded 2-year A level scholarship programe in China. Ivan Smith, one of the successful 2023 EwC Scholars who started his A-levels at Wycombe Abbey School Changzhou this Autumn, said, “Engage with China builds the bridges; it is up to us to cross them.” The Scholars and their families are so grateful for this life-changing opportunity and the scholars have been busy making friends in their 1,200 pupil community, benefiting from the extensive facilities that the school has to offer from rowing to an indoor air-conditioned sports dome and discovering China for themselves. For more information about the scholars

The third opportunity is for schools to participate in EwC’s annual, online, international, climate-change Model United Nations Conference to be held on 02 February 2024 around Chinese New Year. Attracting schools from all corners of the globe including China, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Zambia and the UK, this event provides a unique, real-time opportunity for 15-18 year old pupils to negotiate, research and learn about the challenges relating to solving the climate change crisis. 350 pupils from 30 schools are expected to participate this year, an increase of 30%. “It was an interesting experience and the students valued the MUN,” said Angelika Cowell, English teacher and coordinator of the delegation from Bristol Grammar School whose pupils participated for the first time in 2023. Registrations close on 15 December.

To apply: Schools should apply directly to EwC before 15 December to be beneficiaries of the China Challenge Day funding and must commit to a date for in-classroom delivery before the end of 2024. Email hjcolston@engagewithchina.org or visit www.engagewithchina.org/resources/ for more details on all three of these opportunities.