FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DIGNITARY FROM CHINA’S MINISTRY OF EDUCATION VISITS PENN FOSTER
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Mr. James Lee from the Chinese Ministry of Education is responsible for the Ministry’s adult and vocation programs
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Scranton , PA , February 13, 2008 -- On Wednesday, February 13, Penn Foster hosted a top official in the Chinese Ministry of Education at its headquarters in Scranton, PA. Mr. James Lee, a top Secretary within the Chinese ministry in charge of oversight for the nation’s educational system, is responsible for the Ministry’s programs of adult and vocational education.
Over the past several months Penn Foster has been exploring the possibilities of bringing its array of career and vocational diploma, certificate and degree programs to China, the world’s most populous country with 1.3 billion people. China has been interested in forming partnerships with international educational institutions such as Penn Foster Career School and Penn Foster College, and Mr. Lee wanted to learn more about Penn Foster’s programs and plans.
Since China entered a new era of reform and opening to the outside world in 1978, Chinese vocational education “has been injected with tremendous vitality for development,” according to a statement on the official MOE website. In 1996, the first "Vocational Education Law" in China was formally adopted, providing legal protection for the development and perfection of vocational education. In 1997, in a speech to its National Assembly, President Jiang Zeming said that “the strategy of invigorating China through science, technology and education and keeping sustainable development should be implemented, and vocational education and adult education of various forms should be actively developed.”
Stuart Udell, CEO of Penn Foster, announced “Dr. Richard W. Ferrin , the President of Penn Foster College, is leading our China initiative. Dr. Ferrin has made several trips to China in the past year to meet with education and government officials and will be returning to that country next month to follow up on Mr. Lee’s visit to Scranton”.
“China is a huge market with an insatiable demand for education,” Mr. Udell said, “They recognize that the U.S. has the best educational system in the world. They also recognize that Penn Foster is the largest independent study institution in the U.S. and has many programs they need. We are working with several potential partner institutions throughout China to establish cooperative programs marked by Penn Foster’s attention to quality, accessibility and affordability.”
Dr. Ferrin acknowledged that while China is a huge market, it also is complicated and challenging. “U.S. Companies and institutions have spent years in discussion and negotiation with partners in China before developing a program that will work for all parties. It’s not easy, but with their tremendous educational needs, it’s certainly worth the effort.”
About Penn Foster
Penn Foster College , Penn Foster Career School, and Penn Foster High School are part of Penn Foster Inc., a global leader in distance education. For more than 117 years, Penn Foster has been providing career-focused training programs in the fields of healthcare, business, technology, and select trades. Each year more than 170,000 national and international students enroll in a Penn Foster degree or vocational program. Nationally and regionally accredited Penn Foster High School serves more than 40,000 online students seeking individual courses or a complete diploma program. Penn Foster College (www.pennfostercollege.edu) is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Penn Foster Career School (www.pennfoster.edu) and Penn Foster High School (www.pennfosterhighschool.com) are headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania with regional offices in Montreal, Canada.
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