Education Exchange Visitor in the UK - Essay Example

Lecturer Report on Exchange Visitor in the UK Introduction Practitioner exchange program involves the practitioners from work or learning institutions work or study abroad in one of the partners of their learning or work institution. Practitioner exchange program can involve international travel; however, it is not a must that the professionals should study or work outside their home country. In the United Kingdom, China and even the United States of America; exchange programs gives practical; training or education and sharing of traditions history and culture of the home country’s culture of the participants. “Exchange” means that the partner institution accepts to take the staff; however, that doesn’t mean that the staff must find a partner from the other partner institution with whom to exchange. Exchange practitioners live in designated areas like home of a host family, student hostel or apartment. Costs of the programs vary depending on the country or institution (Yinnian 34). Students or professionals participating in exchange program fund the exercise through loans, grants scholarships or even self – funding. The staff exchange program started being popular after the Second World War; the main purpose of the program is to increase the staffs’ tolerance and understanding of the other cultures; and also improving their skills, while increasing their social horizons. Education system in China and the United Kingdom Education in China involves state run system in public education managed by the Ministry of education. It is mandatory for every Chinese citizen to pursue education for a minimum period of nine years; this minimum period is referred to as compulsory nine year education. The government is responsible for funding this compulsory education program. The nine years education comprises; primary education for six years, and junior secondary education (middle school) for three years. People who participate in this program belong to the age bracket of between 12 and 15 years (Terri 24).Three additional years of high school education; follows subsequently after the middle school, this the finishes the secondary education cycle. The ministry of education has recently explained a 99% attendance in primary school; and 80% attendance rate for the secondary and primary schools. In the year 1985; the Chinese government removed higher education state funding, this ensured that the university or college applicants looked for scholarships according to their academic capabilities. At the beginning of the 1980s the state authorized the establishment of a private school, which increased the number of postgraduates and undergraduates five times, between 19995 and 2005. The year 2003 saw China boasting of; 1552 colleges and universities, 11 million students and 725,000 professors. There are over 100 universities with adequate international recognition and reputation; for example Tsinghua University and Peking University. China is also a top international students’ destination; in the year 2013 China was named the first country in Asia in terms if international students, and third globally (Terri 20). There are several laws regulating education in China; for example, Compulsory Education Law, University Degree Law and Law on higher Education. Currently, the ways of teaching in China involve; make-or break exams that test the ability of the students to memorize characters, concepts, dates and texts. In contrast, it has minimal demands in form of critical analysis and thinking. In United Kingdom, schools are established by the State (local authorities). The state school program is free for all the pupils. There are also the independent schools that charge fees for their education services. The independent schools have an established reputation for adhering to the high standards of teaching or learning. Almost all pupils in independent schools proceed to world prestigious universities once they leave. In the general United Kingdom; boys and girls compulsorily attend full time education up to the age of 16 years. Many students after 16 years continue to stay in school until 18 years of age; and almost all pupils pursue university education thereafter. In England and Wales; there is a National Curriculum introduced by the government in 1988. This provides education framework for pupils aged 5 to 18 years. All state schools are required to adhere to the National Curriculum. Independent schools are not obliged to adhere to the National Framework; however, they must provide all round education, and they are also inspected regularly. In the UK, teaching methods involve; using interactive whiteboards which make lessons engaging and fun; using real life examples in learning; teachers plan lessons according to the needs of the students; and students are evaluated on daily basis through classroom activities. Adapting to the University Environment Exchange student have various ways of knowing the university environment and being part of it. Effectively adapting to the new university environment will ensure that the students enjoy all aspects of this new university. Adapting to new university environment involves effective time management; the daily planner should be used in scheduling academic activities. Learning actively ensures quick adaptation; the exchange students should participate in class discussions, and continuously dialogue with the professors (Terri 13).Broadening learning perspective is also important; reading newspapers and participating in general discussions ensure adequate understanding of the host country and the host institution. Increasing social networks enable a new student to make friends through joining societies and taking part in social programs. Maintaining good health can also assist in the adaptation and enjoyment process in the host university settings; this is achieved through enough physical exercise, enough physical relaxation, proper eating and enough sleep. Finally making wise use of freedom and autonomy creates good university environment; this is achieved through practicing self discipline. Course Work Learning During the course of my student exchange program; I participated in various learning activities, which include various course aspects. Global Health is a health course which involves the health of people in an international context. It is the field of study, research, or practice which puts priority in improving health or getting equity in the health for all persons internationally. Global health concerns global health improvements, reduction in health disparities, and protection against global health threats. Population health course involves improving health of the entire human population. It describes the health outcomes of group of people, and the distribution of such outcomes within the group (Yinnian 6). Gerontology is a learning course which studies the biological, social and psychological aspect of the aging process. Gerontology entails; investigating the aging process, examining the psychosocial impacts of the aging process, understanding the psychosocial effects on aging, examining the effects of the aging population on the society, and studying the physical and psychosocial changes identified in persons as they age. Migration entails the movement of human population from one place to another, in search for adequate social and infrastructural amenities. The university has language school; where English language is taught to foreign students. Language learning supplemented my formal course learning. These course contents greatly improved my understanding of the global health issues. The Ministry of health is responsible for conducting health research; the course content during the exchange program provided adequate literature review data. The data guides the research process by providing current knowledge and current research in the health sector. The exchange program has given me insight on post 2015 health development agenda which include; need for the healthcare system to react and adapt to climate change, for example responding to extreme weather / climate; reducing the impact of health systems on the environment through reducing carbon emissions; and health sector maximizing opportunities of improving environmental, social and economic sustainability. Field of Population and Family Planning I possess nine years experience in working in the field of population and family planning; at the capacity of the programs coordinator. The exchange program has given me access to competent international instructors and staffs in this field. Population involves the summation of all people, who reside in the same geographical area. Demography is the social science responsible for the statistical analysis and study of the human populations. The United Nation approximated that the Earth’s population surpassed the seven billion mark in 2012 during the month of October. These population developments provide unprecedented challenges and also opportunities for all the humanity. In the future, the population of the world is projected to reach a peak; thereafter it will decline because of health concerns, land exhaustion, economic reasons and environmental hazards. Family planning involves deciding when to give birth to children, and also the application of birth control and related techniques of implementing the plans. Family planning also involves infertility management, sex education, prevention or management of sexually transmitted infections, and preconception counseling. Family planning is mostly applied to the female and male couples; who want to limit the number of children that they wish to have, and control pregnancy timing. Family planning may involve sterilization, and also abortion. Family planning services means; comprehensive medical and social methods which assists individuals to freely determine the number and spacing of their children; and to identify the approach of achieving this. Sexual and reproductive health addresses reproductive functions, systems and processes in all life stages. Reproductive health ensures that people have; satisfying, safe and responsible sex life. Also, it ensures that people are capable of reproducing, and freedom to decide when to reproduce. Men and women should have access to proper health services in sexual and reproductive medicine. Women should pass safely through pregnancy and also childbirth, this enable couples to have healthy infants. For sexual health to be realized, the sexual rights of persons must be fulfilled, respected and protected. Sexual health involves physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing, in reference to sexuality. Benefit of Exchange Program in International Cooperation Exchanged program assists in international cooperation; in the fields of education, research, occupation and business. The main objective of the exchange program involves the sharing of professional knowledge among the students and practicing professionals. This knowledge is applied in improving professional practices and knowledge. In professional research; the exchange program helps in collecting data. These research data will then be analyzed; and used for decision in both the host country and the host country. For example; medical data for research can easily be collected and analyzed through exchange programs involving two or more countries. Conclusion The outcome of this exchange program enabled me to learn the methods of learning in a different country, the United Kingdom. This method has certain aspects which can be used to further improve the Chinese education system, hence make it more competitive in the global environment; for example interactive teaching method. Another learning outcome involves the analysis of how to provide essential nutrition to the body. This is an important health aspect because proper nutrition is essential for a healthy body. Utilizing the think tank network has enabled me to share ideas and learn with fellow practitioners in the health profession. Also using the online resources; enables one to get information in any field of study. The online resources ensured I accessed a lot of published health information. Overall, this exchange program has broadened my health knowledge from national, to a global health perspective. Works Cited Yinnian, Yang. The China educational development yearbook, Leiden: Brill, 2009. Print. Terri Dowty (editor) (2000). Free Range Education: How Home Education Works. New York: Hawthorn Press, 2000. 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