Qiangwei Primary School in Minhang, where 40 percent of the students are the children of poorly educated migrant workers, is basking in glory.

The school recently won mention in a New York Times article by author Thomas Friedman, exploring why Shanghai schools, for the second time running, came out tops in the world in reading, science and math skills in the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).

The global scholastic measure covers schools in 65 countries. About 6,374 15-year-olds from 155 schools in Shanghai — including 16 in Minhang — took part in the exams last April.

The Shanghai results had media around the world scrambling to explain the magic formula to such educational excellence. What Friedman concluded after visiting Qiangwei and other schools in Shanghai is that there is no “secret.” Rather, the achievement simply reflects a deep commitment to executing the fundamentals of education: teacher training and professional development, parental involvement in schools and a culture that honors the value of learning.

Shanghai’s school system was “very average” in 2003, said Andreas Schleicher, who runs the triennial PISA exams under the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. “A decade later, it’s leading the world!” he said.

Friedman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who writes a twice-weekly column for the New York Times, came to China and visited some of the highest-ranking and lowest-performing schools, exploring the nation’s 30-year investment in education.

One of his stops was the Qiangwei Primary School, which has 754 students and 59 teachers.

“He was impressed by our teachers’ peer-to-peer learning and constant professional development,” Qiangwei principal Shen Jun said of Friedman’s visit.

Teachers at the school spend about 70 percent of their work week teaching and 30 percent developing their education skills and planning lessons. Friedman noted that US teachers don’t spend that much time on self-development.

After Friedman’s report, entitled “The Shanghai Secret,” was published in the New York Times on October 22, the Minhang Education Bureau, Shanghai Education Committee and Shanghai Education Press jointly held a workshop at Qiangwei Primary School to discuss educational issues.

“We are proud and confident of these features in our school’s education, but I have to say we are not unique and this achievement is not rare in this city,” said Shen, who is credited with lifting the academic excellence of Qiangwei school.

The work is far from completed, district education officials. Poorer performing schools need to be brought up to the highest standards. That reform is underway, according to Wang Hao, director of the Minhang Education Bureau.

“Large numbers of migrant families in the district bring students who don’t have a high performance background in education,” he said. “That is our challenge.”

Challenges

 In the past decade, regular meetings and seminars have been held on the subject of achieving educational excellence. That process includes monthly conferences held in lower-performance schools to address practical, everyday problems they face. Teachers from higher ranked schools share their experiences with peers from lower-performance schools.

Reforms in Shanghai’s elementary education system include a more balanced development at different levels of schools, reducing homework and allowing students more room for personal development, said Zhang Minxuan, president of the Shanghai Normal University and head of the PISA Shanghai program.

“PISA is not the only standard by which we measure the performance of teaching and learning in schools,” Wang added. “But it does tell us a lot about how our teachers and students are doing.”

 An emphasis on “quality education” has long been a cornerstone of the Chinese education system. That strategy encompasses both core learning in subjects like math and science, but also the mental and physical development of students. Creative thinking is now stressed more, as is a sense of team spirit.

Parents’ role

The role parents play in education is also important. Chinese parents, of course, are zealous about pushing their children to study hard, believing education to be the ticket to a successful life. Teachers and parents regularly communicate, and parents are encouraged to visit schools frequently. Some schools offer training for parents who want to help children with homework.

“We definitely feel encouraged when we hear about such an optimistic article being published about our schools,” said Liu Hongbing, father of a son in the third grade of Pingnan Primary School in Minhang. “As a parent, what I care about is not merely the marks my son gets in math, reading or science. I want him to grow up to be an exemplary person — good-behaved, responsible, kind and passionate about life.”

Beginning in 2012, an international course from the US called “Health and Happiness” has been implemented in 12 primary and middle schools in Minhang District. This integrated course aims to instill healthy personal behavior, independence, respect and communications abilities in students.

Healthy and happy life

In a third grade class at one of the district schools, a teacher asks her students questions like: “Who wakes you up in the morning — you or one of your parents? Who decides what you will wear today — you or your parents?”

“The questions relate to life outside math or science,” said Tang Beiyun, a teacher at Meilong Central Primary School in charge of the “Health and Happiness” coursework. “The aim is to teach students to make their own responsible decisions.”

Feedback from parents whose children have participated in the “Health and Happiness” project show 95 percent were “very satisfied” with the results, and 96 percent of students said they learned a lot from it.

 Beginning this school term, 13 more schools in Minhang have joined the project, bringing total involvement to 3,980 students and 220 teachers in 25 schools.

“Minhang is a pioneer in lifting teaching quality in the city by keeping abreast of the latest educational trends in Shanghai and the world,” Wang said.

International community

The district has not hesitated to implement successful international courses and maintains continuing communications with foreign education institutes.

Technology also has a role to play. By 2015, the new e-student card program will cover the whole of the Minhang District. The program provides an electronic profile of every student, including academic achievement, health and extracurricular activities.

Confucius once said, “Instruction knows no class distinction.” Zhang Minsheng, director of the Shanghai Education Association, said it is a philosophy that all schools, including those in Minhang, would be wise to follow.

“When schools are deemed low-performing or mediocre, the teachers need to rise to the challenge,” he said. “I don’t want to see teachers choosing schools with exemplary students.”

The Minhang District is encouraging more international schools to create branches in the district. The Shanghai Foreign Language School will be soon be opening in Huacao.