加拿大与中国合作办学的管理

Management of Canadian Offshore Schools in China

自20世纪80年代中期开始，我国实行“对外开放”政策，允许在中国境内创办外国（海外）学校。不列颠哥伦比亚（BE）省是加拿大第一个允许在国外进行合作办学的省份，1995年创办第一所海外学校（在加拿大，所有和教育相关的事务都由各省负责）。这些在国外创办的学校和项目都是私立学校，要同时遵守中国和BC的法律，采用BE的课程、学习目标和教材，以及雇用在BC获得认证的教师和校长。这类学校经过BE教育部的认证，并定期接受检查。加拿大其他省份也纷纷效仿，2007年初加拿大在中国的合作办学机构大约有80所（此时中国约有800所中外合作办学机构）。虽然由于增长的需求，该类学校数量增长迅速，但它们仍处于中国学校体系的边缘。除了目前的经济衰退在短期内会对中外合作办学的需求产生负面影响外，还有一些关键问题，将会长期影响其生存能力。在此将简要讨论其中四个方面．

Since the mid- 1980s, China has enacted an ＂Open Door＂ policy which permits establishment of foreign （offshore） schools in China. British Columbia （BC） was the first Canadian province to authorize the establishment of an offshore school in 1995 （in Canada all matters related to education are the responsibility of the provinces）. Offshore schools and programs are private schools regulated by Chinese and BC law, using the BC curriculum, learning objectives, teaching materials, as well as employing BC certified teachers and principals. They are certified by the BC Ministry of Education and inspected in regular intervals. Other Canadian provinces have followed suit and in early 2007 there were some 80 Canadian ＂offshore＂ schools （out of some 800 Chinese -foreign cooperation schools in China）. Although their numbers has been growing fast due to continuing demand for such schools, they are marginal in the Chinese school system. In addition to the present economic downturn that will have a dampening effect on demand, at least in the short term, there are a number of critical issues that can be expected to have an impact on their longer term viability. Four of these will be briefly discussed.