At the ongoing London Book Fair, a leading Chinese publisher closed a deal to export China's math textbooks to Britain. According to the agreement signed with HarperCollins Publishers, one of the world's largest English-language publishers, the Shanghai Century Publishing Group will bring 36 math titles to Britain.
London Book Fair 2017. /CFP Photo.
All in current use at schools in Shanghai, the titles are scheduled to be translated and published by September. Some primary schools in Britain will adopt the textbooks next fall semester, as part of the effort to "introduce Shanghai's teaching methodology." This is the first time that textbooks compiled in China have entered Britain's education system.
Recently, Britain has seen growing interests in China's distinctive way of teaching mathematics. Shanghai's math teaching has drawn the most attention. From 2014 to early 2017, hundreds of British teachers and school administrators have visited the eastern Chinese city to compare notes.
In July 2016, the British government announced a plan to commit 41 million pounds to improving the ways of teaching math, which involves boosting exchanges with teachers in Shanghai and other Chinese cities.
Shanghai's success in teaching math has drawn wider attention globally. Countries such as the US, Finland, South Africa, and Malaysia have all sent delegations to learn about Shanghai's secrets in crafting a balanced, high-quality education.
1060km
