The Pre-School Learning Alliance opens office in China

The organisation has formed an international partnership with Chinap-based I-Best and the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), China’s nationwide not-for-profit organisation for international educational exchanges.

Working together, the three organisations will aim to establish and share best practice through pre-school education advisory boards while developing and promoting a series of seminar and roundtable events in both Beijing and London. This new partnership will also collaborate to deliver new training programmes to support the training of early years teachers in China.

The Pre-school Learning Alliance’s (PLA) China office was officially opened by their chief executive Neil Leitch and chair of the Alliance Board of Trustees Janette Parker during their visit to Beijing.

Mr Leitch commented on the partnership in his speech to over 2,000 delegates at the China Annual Conference for International Education 2014 about supporting the professional development of early years practitioners.

He said, 'This partnership is a fantastic opportunity for all organisations to share good practice between the UK and China, and establish closer relationships between the respective early years sectors.

'What I have noticed most from our work with our colleagues in China so far is how closely our views on the delivery on the early years provision – everything from the importance of maintaining low child-adult ratios to the value of learning through play – are aligned.'