The Chinese supplementary school is the heart of the Chinese Community.
There are an estimated 8 supplementary Sunday Chinese schools located Manchester. Most of the school runs by renting rooms from City College, school or university. They don’t have permanent building or office; except religion school and School of Manchester Chinese Centre. They come in a variety of shapes and forms. In general they offer out-of-school-hours educational opportunities for Chinese children and young people, many of whom come from minority ethnic communities Chinese from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Malaysia and Mainland China.
First Chinese Schools
Cantonese Chinese supplementary schools first appeared – some say as early as the late 60s in London, Liverpool and 70s funded in Manchester China Town. It started in restaurant of China town. What is known was Chinese lesson for ‘Chop Suey House’ children. In the 70s Chinese children need to learn English and Chinese catering menu, which help the children to take order for work. Some children even helping their parents to run take away or restaurant business. Also the Chinese school was helping them to develop skills to be a restaurant owner or to gain a job in catering business.Characteristics of the Chinese Schools
Chinese Supplementary schools share a number of characteristics:- They offer a range of learning opportunities, including mother-tongue classes Cantonese Chinese language and cultural studies and a range of extra activities, such as Kung Fu, music, dance and drama; some of the schools have involve with religious studies.
- The Chinese schools run on Sunday 11am-1pm or 1pm-4pm round Manchester China Town.
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The Chinese schools are set up by local Chinese community groups.
- Most of the teachers and head teachers are not qualified.
- They are voluntary organizations without funding or help by the city council.
Very often they rely almost exclusively on volunteers.
- They operate from a variety of venues: community centres, places of worship, universities, mainstream schools and other places.
- The local authority have not so far supported their overhead running costs.
Parents have to pay a small fee toward the overhead costs.
- It has strengths and weaknesses:
because their teachers are not trained and relay on experience to run Chinese lessons.
Each class has a different age range.
- The Chinese supplementary school intend to use the Chinese style of teaching and totally opposite from the mainstream schools;
therefore the learners find it hard to cope.
- Chinese supplementary school has been creating a conflict between parents and children.
Most of the children study Chinese for their parents when they young; but when they finished their GCSE then they will enjoy the lesson more.
History of Chinese Schools
Chinese supplementary schools in Manchester was very much an underground movement for decades, which received little recognition and coverage by the local authority or the local communities.The Chinese school started from the 1970s at restaurant in China town, but its growth continued in the 1980s. The Chinese children who born in UK need to learn Chinese language able them to expand their family catering business or run business between the Chinese community and Manchester local communities.
In the 1980s, most of the Chinese school started to change their attitude about the Chinese language. They would like their children able to read, write Chinese language and officially, recognised the positive contribution that Chinese supplementary education can make to children's achievements. The Chinese parents demanded their children enter for the National Chinese GCSE and A Level Exams to gain extra qualifications. It has added vital value for their academic achievement.
In the 1990s, China has been influencing the international trade market; plus the new immigrant's scholars from Mainland China. This has been expanding the Chinese lesson into Mandarin school. It has accelerated again as new communities continue to arrive in Britain. Mandarin Chinese schools have creating more excitement for the Chinese community.
By 2000, the conflict started between Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese language schools; especially among the Cantonese families. Their mother tongue is Cantonese traditional Chinese writing; but the Chinese official language is Mandarin with simplified Chinese writing. It has been creating lots discussion and disagreement between Chinese community and parents.
In the new 21st century, a significant shift has occurred: more people and organization have acknowledged the contribution that Chinese supplementary schools make to the education and social development of children and young people, as well as to building communities. Only recently the Manchester Children's Service has set up a Supplementary Schools Support Team and formed Manchester Supplementary Schools Network (MSSN) by joint 57 minority ethnic communities supplementary schools of Manchester and celebrating Achievement Day once a year organized by MSSN.
Supplementary schools including the Chinese schools a lot still remains to be done, but there are some really encouraging signs for the future.
Between 2002 and 2004 the Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Children, Schools and Families – DCSF) has been included Chinese supplementary schools in a number of government policy documents, for instance, those on extended services in and around schools. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has also officially recognised the positive contribution that Chinese supplementary education can make to children's achievements; but the Manchester Children service will not fund the Chinese school not like London or Leeds authority. However the Chinese supplementary school is self funded school and still expending. Now the Chinese Language is reaching out of Chinatown towards the local mainstream schools.
Contacts for Chinese supplementary schools
Chinese Education Culture & Community Centre Chinese SchoolThe second oldest Cantonese School in Manchester, rent room from Manchester Academy High school. Sun 1-4pm
2nd Floor, 59 – 61 Faulkner Street, Manchester M1 4FF
Dr Ping Liu 07868-731680/ 0161 928 0012
tyzeli@hotmail.com or siukkk@hotmail.com
Greater Manchester Mandarin Chinese School
Main Building, Manchester University (Umist campus) POBox 88 Manchester M60 1QD
Prof Hong Wang 0161 200 4655/0161 306-4655
hong.wang@manchester.ac.uk
Huaxia Mandarin Chinese School
Run school by renting Manchester University Building.
Click here for a video.
Ms Xue Teng, head teacher
07951 900277
info@huaxiaschool.org.uk
Manchester Chinese Christian Church School (Cantonese)
100 Yarburgh St, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 8EH
0161 861 8049
admin@manchesterccc.org.uk
Manchester Chinese Centre School
Mandarin school and adult learning Centre.
67 Ardwick Green North, Ardwick, Manchester M12 6FX
0161 275 9885
Admissions@mchinesecentre.org.uk
North West Chinese Language Centre
The oldest Cantonese Chinese School in Manchester.
City College Manchester, City Campus, Whitworth Street, Manchester M1 3HB
0161-9697663/0161 228 3648
raymond.chiu@ukgateway.net
School of Manchester Fo Guan Shan Temple
Religion school, from Taiwan
540, Stretford Road, Old Trafford, Manchester M16 9AF, United Kingdom
0161-872-3338
ibps_man_uk@hotmail.com
Wai Yin
Saturday, 10.30-12.30 then 1.30-3.30.
Pui Ling Fong pui_ling_fong@waiyin.org.uk
