COVID-19 has established a new norm in the way overseas student exchanges are handled. With the suspension of international travel, the Office of Teacher Education (OTE) is constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to transcend geographical boundaries while providing student teachers with the opportunities for international exposure.

The International Webinar Series was introduced by OTE in collaboration with partner universities of the National Institute of Education. The series is aimed at helping our student teachers to gain international exposure virtually, as well as learn about the different education systems and possible reforms taking place globally.

Dr Peter Chin, Associate Dean of Teacher Education from Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada, conducted the first webinar entitled “Understanding the Canadian education system and its reforms” for our student teachers on 9 September 2020.

During the session, Dr Chin talked in depth about the Ontario education system and its recent reforms. Most of our student teachers agreed that they gained valuable insights from the webinar. These included Ms Jane Zhou, a Year 3 BSc(Ed) (Secondary) student, who felt that the webinar provided a quick yet valuable peek into Ontario’s education system. “We saw how demographic features like multiculturalism and population density impact the education system in different ways. The information culled from the webinar provided me with food for thought for my future practice,” she said.

For Ms Lim Le Wei, a Year 3 BA(Ed) (Secondary) student, the webinar with Queen’s University revealed interesting insights on the Ontario education system. “I was heartened to see several similarities in the fundamental goals of our two systems, especially in enhancing student engagement and student-centred learning,” she added.