Staff and pupils at a Bradford school are looking east in a bid to forge links with the fastest growing economy on earth.

Chinese teachers Peng Jing and Wu Xing are spending 12 days at Belle Vue Girls' (BVG) School as part of a budding relationship which has formed between the Heaton secondary and Changzheng School in Shanghai.

The pair have travelled to the district on the return leg of a teacher exchange programme. Earlier this term, BVG's teachers Vlad Waley and Tom Howell visited youngsters in Shanghai where they taught in English and were observed by school leaders curious to see Western teaching methods in action.

Mrs Jing, a citizenship tutor, said she had been struck by the "considerably smaller" classes in Bradford and the fact that pupils were assessed throughout the school year, rather than in a final, end-of-year exam.

Art teacher Mrs Xing, who has passed on some of her knowledge of Chinese painting, drawing and calligraphy during her stay, said they had received "a very warm welcome" from staff and pupils, adding the link-up would "create benefits for the students of both schools" thanks to the "introduction of the two cultures in a personal way".

BVG head teacher Margaret Platts, who travelled to China earlier this year, said: "Our students have been fascinated by their different experiences and the work they have brought to do. They have learned a lot about Chinese culture and have received an in-depth insight into a country on the far side of the world."

Economic experts predict big business in China will soon rival the USA's output. The country is already the world's largest producer of mobile phones, computers and cameras - and all because of its biggest resource: a population of 1.3 billion.

Miss Platts hopes to put young people in Bradford in a position to benefit. "We are already teaching Chinese culture and language and we will do more work on teaching Mandarin," she said.

"And 20 other secondary schools in the district are also interested in learning more about Chinese culture too."

Further teacher exchanges, conferences and student visits are now in the pipeline thanks to the flowering friendship.

"Anybody with commercial awareness needs to have some knowledge of Chinese language and culture," said Miss Platts.

Plans are also afoot for BVG students and their Chinese peers to make use of the University of Bradford's robotic telescope which can be controlled by computer - and make joint observations in English on the night sky.

Of the visit, sixth former Tasmia Aslam, said: "It's been so interesting to learn some Mandarin and to see how Chinese people write."

e-mail: dan.webber@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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