NSW Government shuts down free Chinese government travel program offered to Australian principals
AN all-expenses paid trip to China for principals who agree to teach Beijing-approved culture in classrooms has been called off amid fears it’s a propaganda exercise. The trip is for NSW school leaders who consider implementing the “Confucius Classroom”.
NSW
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A CONTENTIOUS Chinese government program offering junkets to principals who set up China education programs in schools has been canned by the state government.
The Education Department has halted the travel program amid concerns it is a “propaganda exercise” for the Chinese Communist Party.
The program is run by the Hanban Institute — an arm of the Chinese Communist Party — which hosts the school leaders for nine days in China.
The institute funds hotels, dining and travel around China for the trip but only if principals express an interest in setting up an education program called a Confucius Classroom when they return home.
This year’s trip has been postponed by the Department. A spokesman for Education Minister Rob Stokes said a review was taking place. “The Department of Education’s relationship with the Confucius Institute is currently under review to ensure that there are no inappropriate influences from foreign powers,” he said.
A memorandum of understanding setting up the program was signed in July 2010 when Labor was in power and Sam Dastyari was the General Secretary of NSW Labor.
Confucius Classrooms have since been established in four primary and nine secondary NSW schools. In return for allowing Chinese government-appointed teaching assistants to enter schools as “native speakers”, schools are given $20,000 worth of interactive media equipment, a $10,000 start up grant and can apply for $10,000 a year thereafter from the Hanban Institute.
Critics say China is monitoring what is being taught, whitewashing history and creating a sense of reciprocity in a textbook use of soft power.
Charles Sturt University’s Professor Clive Hamilton said a goal was to make our view of China more positive.
“It’s a subtle propaganda exercise that sets up a sense of reciprocity and obligation.”
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Peter Jennings said it was hard to teach Chinese outside the network set up by Confucius institutes.
Charles Sturt University China expert Professor Clive Hamilton said the goal was to make our view of China more positive.
“It is a subtle propaganda exercise that sets up a sense of reciprocity and obligation,” he said.
“It is a distorted picture of the social situation and the history of modern China distorted to suit the interests of the Communist Party.
“They have a curriculum, which is taught to, and the curriculum is carefully shaped to present a soft and happy view of the People’s Republic of China without all the sharp edges, like the Tiananmen Square massacre whited out, internal conflict, so that the Tibetans or Uyghurs live happily and contentedly in China.”
“Confucius classrooms along with Confucius institutes are part of that general push promoting a benign view of communist party rule in China and it makes it much harder for critics of the party in Australia to have their voices heard.”
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The Agreement on the Establishment of Confucius Classroom states: “citizens involved in activities of the Confucius Classroom in China shall be subject to the laws and policies of China.”
Chatswood High School, Fort Street High School, Kingsgrove North High School, Mosman High School, Rooty Hill High School, Bonnyrigg High School, Concord High School, Homebush Boys High School, Coffs Harbour High School, Hurstville South Public School, Rouse Hill Public School, Chatswood Public School and Kensington Public School have the program in their schools.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute International Relations expert Peter Jennings said the trips were creating a reciprocal obligation.
“It is part of Chinese culture, gift giving creates a sense of reciprocal obligation. The problem for schools and even universities, if you want to teach Chinese, it is quite hard to do that outside the network the Confucius institutes have created.”
“They’re trying to discourage things that are directly critical of communist party control, for example the reasonably serious crackdown on human rights and individual liberties that is happening in China today.”
According to the Confucius Institute at the University of Newcastle, which oversees classrooms operating in the Hunter, once operating “School principals will have opportunities to be invited for sponsored trips to China”.
A department spokesman said the delegation was limited to ten principals each year and principals had to pay for their airfares to China.
“Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) provides the department with a professional learning opportunity each year for 10 principals from schools with Confucius Classrooms and/or with Chinese language programs to visit Chinese schools,” he said.