ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/20/2005 11 August 2005
Indian teachers impressed with Australian teaching
A group of Indian teachers has returned from a tour of Australia impressed with teaching practices in Australia.
At a reception hosted by the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, the participants, who visited Australia under a teachers’ exchange program, shared their experiences and insights gained from their tour. The exchange program is organised by the Australian Education International in association with the Asia Education Foundation, Melbourne and funded by the Australia- India Council (AIC).
Under the exchange program this year, 11 teachers from Delhi and one from Hyderabad visited Australia in June. At the presentation t itled "Australian Schools - an Indian Perspective", the teachers discussed the learning outcomes of their visit to Australia, the similarities and differences between the education systems of the two countries, and about systems they would like to be incorporated into the Indian system.
"The program offers opportunities for both Australian and Indian teachers to learn about each other’s country, people, culture and education systems and to pass them on to students", said Professor John Webb, Counsellor, Education and Training, Australian High Commission.
"With interest in Australian education growing and many Indian students opting for Australia as their destination for higher and technical education, such exchanges can help students interested in Australian education know more about our teaching systems through their teachers", said Professor Webb.
Highlighting the outcomes, Mrs Sharmila Chatterjee of Delhi Public School, Vasundhara said "the strategic preplanning combined with organisational skills for class room transaction by the Australian teachers makes the education system in Australia very effective".
Another participant, Mrs Susan George of Fr Angel’s School, observed that "education in Australia is not restricted by a regimented curriculum of fixed course content or stiff exam/test modules".
The teachers toured several schools and educational institutions in Australia and met the Australian teachers who visited them in Delhi in January this year. The Indian group stayed with families of these teachers and also joined them in their classrooms.
Running for seven years, the exchange program has involved over 170 Australian and Indian teachers. The exchange program also supports developing curricula about India in the participating Australian schools and vice versa. At the end of the program, the teachers bring back teaching material and resources to aid them to incorporate features of Australian teaching systems in their respective school curricula.
The Australia-India Council is a foundation set up by the Australian government to promote bilateral relations.
For further details, please contact Ms Anu Jain, Education Promotion Officer, Australian High Commission, New Delhi, on 5149 4360.