Maxine McKew (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

On Australia Day this year, 16,000 new citizens from over 130 countries were welcomed as part of the expanding Australian family. It is also a day, of course, when we recognise particular individuals for their energy, their creativity and the vibrancy of their contribution to Australian society. I want to pay particular tribute to one of my constituents, Caroline Yi Xu, who this year was awarded the title of the City of Ryde Citizen of the Year.

Caroline is a more than worthy recipient of this award. She arrived here from Shanghai in 1989 and became a citizen in 1998. She is an outstanding educator, a bridge builder and someone who is constantly giving to the community she serves. I first met Caroline during the 2007 election campaign in Bennelong. As the principal of the Feng Hua Chinese School, she invited me to drop in on her Saturday morning Chinese classes for the youngsters of Eastwood and surrounds. I have to say that if you have not heard young preschoolers sing Edelweiss in Chinese then you have not experienced true multiculturalism! It was a joy.

Caroline is the driving force behind the great success of the Feng Hua school. It was established in 1998 and teaches written and spoken Chinese and Chinese culture to children of all ages. Feng Hua is a member of the Ethnic Schools Federation of New South Wales and is sponsored by the New South Wales education department’s community school language education program. It is really Caroline’s energy and vision that has seen the school grow to the point where 25 teachers and now 400 students, including students from non-Chinese backgrounds, all contribute to a very lively learning environment.

I have made many trips to Eastwood Public School, where the classes are held on a Saturday morning, and have seen firsthand what it is that Caroline has fostered: a love of learning and a harmonious cross-cultural experience that speaks to the ambitions of parents, children and teachers. That is why I say that Caroline Yi Xu is a great bridge builder. She believes that China has much to learn from Australia and that in turn Australia, as well, can learn from China. That is why for many years she has successfully organised high school and primary school principals from Sydney’s northern district to visit China as part of a cross-cultural exchange program. I know from talking to the principal of Epping Boys’ High School, Peter Garrard, that he has been particularly impressed with how he has seen the Chinese approach the teaching of maths and science. The principals in my area believe, as I do, that education is a fundamental component of creating and maintaining a successful nation. Caroline Yi Xu, a great educator, and the Feng Hua school are committed to this task, and I congratulate Caroline on her achievement as the 2010 City of Ryde Citizen of the Year.

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