VCE Offshore Conference

Last week, a team of NHS staff members led the 7th Annual VCE Offshore Conference, held this year in Xi'an, China.

Principal Sue Harrap launched the Conference, with a welcome address to about 220 teachers, academics, embassy staff and bureaucrats from China and Australia. Although NHS works in partnership with Thomas Carr College, Firbank Grammar and RMIT (Secondary), this year was our turn to be the hosts and Sue's welcome address set a strong tone of cooperation and collaboration. Amongst the others speaking were Hong Lim MP, Professor Zhang Li, Professor Libby Tudball, Dr Emma Rowe, Rongyu Li and Professor Andrea Chester.

Northcote High School remains the only Australian Government school to work in China in collaboration with Chinese partner schools to deliver the VCE. It has, until recently been the sole province of private schools. It is therefore both a great honour and responsibility to carry this important initiative overseas.

Kun Qian, Mike Waiser, Danny Leondidis, Kirsty Phillips, Wang Zhen, Rosalie Maidment, Effie Sgardelis and Paul Giddy all delivered specialised workshops over two hot days at Tsinghua University High School, about an hour out of the city. More than half the Conference workshops offered were run by these nine teachers.

Thank you to all of them for their extraordinary professionalism and endless good humour.

As an observer and the Conference MC, I can only add that it was an amazing experience to be part of and feedback so far indicates it was regarded as the best VCE Offshore conference yet undertaken.

Nick Murphy