Pacific Bridge, Inc. - Asian HR eNewsletter

Volume 3, Number 8 (August 29, 2003)

INTRODUCTION OF CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY’S GCE PROGRAM IN CHINA

With China currently a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Beijing 2008 Olympics just around the corner, people in China are intent on learning English. Considered the lingua franca of global business, many in China believe that English is the key to future success. Thus, greater numbers of English language training and education programs are currently emerging in the world’s most populous nation.

Recently, England’s University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) introduced their General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination to China. The GCE program is offered to students looking for an alternative route in their pursuit of higher education. The two-year program will be conducted entirely in English and is designed for students at the end of their compulsory schooling who are approximately 16 years of age.

In May 2003, the TMC Educational Group, a Singaporean company, was appointed by UCLES to be the first training provider in China for the GCE Ordinary-level program. Classes for the GCE program are taught through schools and teaching facilities specifically selected by TMC based upon their experience and professionalism. Students who have weak English abilities prior to beginning regular studies with the program will undergo six months of supportive linguistic courses in order to bring them up to speed.

Li Deli, Director of TMC in Beijing emphasized that the program’s success in China would be dependent upon several issues including the program’s curriculum. The program should be able to facilitate further education for students both in China and abroad. He added, “On the one hand, we have to consider the requirements of the Chinese education system. On the other, we should take into consideration the Western system of education.”



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