Shanghai math books to be introduced to Britain

HarperCollins Publishers will translate mathematics textbooks from Chinese schools and publish them in Britain, according to its agreement with Shanghai Century Publishing Group.

Under the agreement signed at the ongoing London Book Fair, some primary schools in Britain will use 36 books, including math textbooks, supplementary textbooks and teacher's textbooks from Shanghai primary schools starting in September, sources with the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission said Wednesday.

The textbooks will be translated from Chinese into English to deliver a complete math program for primary school students.

Apart from publishing textbooks, Britain will also spread the Shanghai Teaching for Mastery Programme in the country. It is a four-year program backed by 41 million British pounds in funding announced by the British Department for Education in July 2016.

"The collaboration can make a significant contribution to raising young people's mathematics performance -- which is essential to their future success in learning and in life," said Colin Hughes, Managing Director of Collins Learning.

Shanghai students achieved good performance in reading, math and sciences in the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2009 and 2012, drawing global attention to education in the Chinese city.

A Shanghai-England teacher exchange started in 2014. In September 2014, 73 teachers and educational administrators from 45 English primary schools and relevant departments visited schools in Shanghai. Between November 2014 and March 2015, 61 mathematics teachers and researchers from Shanghai visited 48 English primary schools and performed teaching demonstrations.

Communication between Chinese and British math teachers is conducive to sharing teaching experience and enhancing their teaching abilities, said Prof. Zhang Minxuan from Shanghai Normal University.

In July 2016, Britain announced it will continue the exchange project and urged 8,000 middle and primary schools in the country to learn from Shanghai's math education.