How has Covid-19 affected educational practices, what experiences have been gained in Denmark and China, respectively, and what does this mean in the future?

Answers and challenges are different. However, the 12 presenters of both countries agree that it is important to prepare children and young people in the best possible way for a future and a world that is becoming more and more complex and unpredictable.
 

READ SUMMARY OF SPEAKERS ' PRESENTATIONS HERE

WATCH THE FORUM ON YOUTUBE HERE
 

Corona has disrupted the world and challenged the education systems. In a very short time teachers had to shift from class teaching to online teaching. Virtually all presenters agree that the new situation requires a much greater focus on teacher education and digital training of teachers and that future teaching will be a hybrid of online and offline teaching.

New role of parents

The Chinese presenters focused in particular on how teaching could be efficiently converted to online teaching, and what consequences this has for the relationship between parents and children. When the home becomes a school, Chinese parents feel more responsible for their children’s learning. According to Zhu Yongxin, CCPPC's deputy general secretary, it strengthens the test-based teaching and has put extra pressure on the children. This is not how it should be, says Zhu Yongxin, whose message to parents is: “Spend more time with children. Encourage children to explore. Read books and share happy moments with children. Family life in itself is education ”.

The urban-rural dilemma

There is a big difference between countryside and big cities in China. Several of the Chinese presenters believe that online education is helping to even out educational inequality. However, Yang Dongping fears an increased inequality because despite a very well-developed technological infrastructure, there are still many rural areas and schools that do not have enough computers. The urban-rural difference is a challenge that the Danish presenters do not deal with. They, in turn, have more focus on what online teaching means to the community and the ability and opportunity to create social relationships.
 

Different starting point

In China, on-line teaching includes about 200 million students in primary and secondary education, while the equivalent number is about half a million in Denmark. Nor was it the first time that China experienced school closures. During the SARS epidemic in 2003, the country's schools closed for three months and teaching took place via the country's TV channels. Technology, the internet and the strengthening of digital infrastructure open up completely new possibilities.

Education is shaped by the culture and the society in which it arises and this characterizes the 12 educators' presentations. By inspiring and exchanging ideas between two countries, two cultures, two different education systems and traditions challenge ways of thinking about online education, training and future education. That is precisely the idea of ??the forum and the new collaboration that represents a unique opportunity to set a humanistic, democratic and value-based agenda in education.

Articles are following up

The online seminar has been followed by several articles, including China News, SOHU News and Huanqiu.com. The media assesses the success of the forum, highlighting how online education, homeschooling and student self-discipline have been challenged during the epidemic, and how important it is for young people to become even better to handle and to understand technology as tools for better learning.

China Education 30 forum has also regularly sent out the individual presentations as well as press releases, which can be read here: Press release from CE30, Press release from CE30. 

Learn for Life's platform in China also ensures forum coverage. See the latest post here.