102nd Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)

SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS – THIRD HIGH-LEVEL CONSULTATION ON EDUCATION COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE RPOVINCES AND TERRITORIES OF CANADA AND THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

On this  day, February 24, 2014, the Third High-Level Consultation on Education  Collaboration between the Provinces and Territories of Canada and the Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China, took place  in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The third  consultation brought together the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada  (CMEC), and senior officials from the People’s Republic of China to discuss increasing  education collaboration and exchange between Canada’s provinces and territories  and the People’s Republic of China, while building on achievements to date. The  third consultation was co-chaired by the Honourable Jeff Johnson, Chair of CMEC  and Minister of Education for Alberta, and the Honourable Li Weihong, Vice  Minister of Education for the People’s Republic of China.

There was recognition among participants of the  importance of fostering understanding and  respect between peoples, cultures, and societies in an increasingly  interconnected world. Participants also agreed that opportunities  to be immersed in different cultures contribute to a student’s educational experience,  and that greater education collaboration and exchange between the provinces and  territories of Canada and the People’s Republic of China can have a positive  influence on their economic and social relationships.

They also acknowledged the success of the many  existing relationships between the People’s Republic of China and individual Canadian  provinces and territories in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary  education, as well as the many existing relationships between their educational  institutions.

In the  context of the growing recognition of the importance of education for social  and economic well-being, participants reviewed challenges in their education  systems. They shared their perspectives on issues such as:

       
  • education  transformation in a global community;
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  • Canadian and  Chinese science and technology research environments;
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  • early childhood  learning and development;
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  • improving  training programs to better address labour-market needs;
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  • student mobility;
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  • approaches to and  challenges in the teaching of mathematics;
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  • education for  sustainable development;
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  • research and  innovation in agriculture and energy; and
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  • the provision of vocational  and technical training programs.

Participants also identified options for further collaboration  and exchange, including the following:

       
  • Joint  participation in a fall 2014 conference organized by the Asia Pacific  Foundation of Canada that will focus on the knowledge and skills young people  will need to engage with the countries of Asia.
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  • Increased cooperation on student mobility, in  particular by exploring ways to make it easier for students and parents to  understand and access information about the education systems of the provinces  and territories of Canada and the education system of the People’s Republic of  China.
       
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  • Expanding the opportunities  for young Canadians to travel to China for student summer camps.
       
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  • Creating an informal virtual network on early  childhood learning and development with a view to sharing knowledge and best  practices.

Participants recognized and acknowledged that, while  CMEC is a collective in which provincial and territorial ministers of education  can collaborate on issues related to education, decisions on the implementation  of particular actions are made by each individual province and territory.

In their closing remarks to the Third High-Level  Consultation on Education Collaboration between the Provinces and Territories  of Canada and the Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China, the co-chairs  thanked all participants and expressed their ongoing support for enhanced education collaboration and exchange between Canada’s provinces and territories and the People’s Republic  of China.

This summary of discussions was written in English,  French, and Mandarin and signed this 24th day of February,  2014, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the text being equally  valid in all three languages.

 

                                               
           

_________________________________________
           Jeff Johnson
           Chair of CMEC and
           Minister of Education
           Alberta Education            

           
_________________________________________
           Li Weihong
           Vice Minister of Education
           People's Republic of China