Although Shanghai students have favored studying overseas in recent years, more and more foreigners are becoming interested in Chinese education. Even those not working in Shanghai, are allowing their children to study there.

“We received a lot of telephone calls from Japan as soon as we returned,” said the school’s headmaster Liu Guohua. “Many people called us for advice apologizing for missing the exhibition. Some even made appointments to visit the school by the end of December.”

According to Liu, the education exhibition attracted a great number of people in Tokyo. Many parents, together with their children, waited outside early. Some visitors came from afar.

When asked why the exhibition was such a success, Liu said that many parents think learning a second or third language will benefit their children in the future and that as China’s development increases they are drawn to studying Chinese. At the same time, it shows that Shanghai’s education is of high standard.

Japanese is the first foreign language studied at the Ganquan Middle School. Seven Japanese students now study there. Yoshida Nobuko from Osaka said she could not say a word in Chinese when she first arrived in China, but now she can converse easily with other students.

The school also employs Japanese teachers. Matsuda came from Tokyo to attend the interview. She said that she loves Chinese culture and after attending the education exhibition she decided she wanted to teach in Shanghai.

(China.org.cn by Feng Yikun December 23, 2002)