9 September 2010

Andrew Barr is off to China

| johnboy
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Andrew Barr is letting us know he’s off to China to sell education:

“The ACT education system has a world reputation for excellence. That’s why there are around 6,000 international students studying in Canberra, including more than 450 in ACT public schools,” Mr Barr said. “Overseas students contribute around $200 million a year to our economy. This is an extremely important industry for the ACT and supports the jobs of thousands of Canberrans.

“China is the largest education market for the schools sector with over 54 per cent of international students in ACT public schools being from China. The trade mission will further strengthen the relationship between Canberra and the People’s Republic of China. It will help ensure students from China continue to make Canberra their first choice for an excellent education.”

The trade mission will include Dr Jim Watterston of the ACT Department of Education and Training and Mr Adrian Marron of the Canberra Institute of Technology, plus officials from the Department of Education and Training and the Chief Minister’s Department.

“Over the week or so of the trade mission members of the delegation will make a number of presentations about the unique and high quality offerings of our institutions,” Mr Barr said. “This will culminate in a number of special VIP events at the Shanghai Expo.

Good luck to him.

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Is he planning to return from China? Hope not.

It is now quite common for Asian families to send a child to Australia to go to school here and learn English. And we charge them a motza to attend our schools. With a varying degree of service provided to help them actually learn anything, depending on the school, and the experience of the teachers in ESL (english as a second language).

Some classes are funny – half refugee kids, and half well off Asian kids.

What was that report about Australian Universities slipping down the prestige ladder?

450 internationalstudents in ACT public schools? How many are from the Diplomatic Corps?

Maybe he can visit the slums and see what he and the ACTPLA are doing to the ACT with their “re-development” plans.
I also hope he’s able to answer questions from the Chinese more clearly than he answers questions from his constituents.
Hopefully they’ll really like him as much as we like panda’s and someone will keep him as a pet.

Maybe he’ll learn a few construction techniques over there.

Maybe we can get Chinese bridge builders to Canberra for training.

The last time I heard “bipartisan” from the federal government was just before self government was imposed. After two thirds of us said NO in a referendum the biggest reason for not wanting self government was that it would become an international travel club.

NO said federal Labor and Liberal, we recognise it is a small jurisdiction and cant afford international travel.

Yeah, right.

Will Andrew release treasury costings of predicted improvements to ACT’s bottom line as a result of his and his parties holiday versus its cost.

Chimpanzee’s tea party phenomena… Important polititians and their partners go overseas on trade missions, we are important politicians, therefore we better go OS.

What crap.

Now who is going to turn up to paper bag openings?

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