School History
Our Founder in the Spotlight
We are deeply honoured that 于筑生 (Easter Wu), the founding principal of MCES and my grandmother, was featured in a CCTV “华人世界” interview. In this segment, she reflects on why she started the school in 1975. Concerned that many Chinese-Australian children were losing touch with their language and heritage, she and co-founder, 吴光华 (John Wu), my grandfather, began teaching in modest conditions — even personally printing textbooks to keep costs down.
Her vision was simple but profound: to give future generations a strong connection to their roots, language, and culture. Through the years, her dedication helped shape our school into what it is today — a cornerstone of the Chinese community in Melbourne.
Why it matters:
- Learn about the early challenges, including limited resources, community support, and funding constraints.
- Hear Grandma’s personal motivation and her hopes for students.
- Understand how our school started as a grassroots project and grew into a long-standing institution.
- See how she worked not just to start MCES, but also helped establish other Chinese schools in Melbourne, making Chinese language education accessible to everyone.
We encourage all students, families, and community members to watch the interview: it’s not just our history but a testament to vision, perseverance, and cultural pride.
Watch the CCTV Interview:
Special School Feature
Learn about MCES’s history and vision through this special YouTube feature of our founder, Mrs. Easter Wu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvceSupy8ks&t=8s
This video shares the vision, dedication, and inspiration behind the creation of the school, celebrating our 50 years of promoting Chinese language and culture in Melbourne. It also includes a brief interview with her granddaughter, 韦诚 Serena Walters, who was 14 years old at the time and learning Chinese at MCES. Serena is now the Principal of our school.
Early History & Community Dedication
For the first 10 years after MCES opened, Grandma 于筑生 did not accept school fees, wanting to encourage pride in being Chinese. In the early days, she personally printed teaching materials to save costs. Community dedication was high, but resources were limited.
Her motivation came from seeing that many Chinese-Australian children didn’t speak Chinese; she believed in giving them a cultural and linguistic “root.”
My grandparents moved to Melbourne at age 35 from Taiwan, where they were both teachers. After arriving, they had to work in Australian factories. The alien environment left her feeling isolated, and she often visited Chinatown to meet fellow Chinese expatriates.
Used to teaching and starting conversations, she would greet people in Chinese out of habit. But she was sometimes met with unexpected reactions: straight faces and replies like, “Sorry, I’m not Chinese.” This discomfort was tied to the lingering effects of the White Australia Policy, which had only recently ended after lasting over half a century. Many Chinese-Australian individuals refused to openly identify as Chinese due to this influence.
This experience deeply motivated Grandma 于筑生 to create a school that fostered pride in Chinese identity and language, giving children a cultural and linguistic “root.”
Community Impact & Legacy
Her aim was never to monopolise Chinese education; she helped establish multiple other Chinese schools to make learning Chinese accessible to everyone.
She named the school Melbourne Chinese Ethnic School to reflect her hope that the spirit of the Chinese ethnic community would prevail in Melbourne and endure for generations.
She was so sincere that she was able to borrow classrooms. On the first day when school started, she received 75 students, most of whom were children from Chinese immigrants from Cambodia. This surprise stimulated her enthusiasm. She became increasingly strict with herself and wanted badly to know the kids better.
She felt she must have a thorough knowledge of their local culture, not only for her job but also to learn more about the kids. To better understand what they learnt Monday–Friday at day schools, she picked up the books again herself and started working towards relevant degrees in education at Melbourne universities.
Among her subjects, Special Education proved particularly challenging due to the professional vocabulary being new to her. She learnt the English language at 35 years old with no help. At one point, in one of her university classes, she asked another student for help and was laughed at, leaving her feeling embarrassed and humiliated. She ran to the restrooms at Melbourne University and cried out loud, then restrained herself when others came in, and continued after they left.
Later, she consoled herself: firstly, I’m greater than her because I returned to school at an older age; secondly, my Chinese is much better than hers. She cheered up and returned to classes. Through consistent efforts, she achieved 2 degrees within 3 years.
After graduation, by virtue of her outstanding academic and school establishment performance, she was accepted as an Educational Inspector by the local education department. Years later, she ran into the same woman who had laughed at her in university and privately shook hands in gratitude for motivating her.
School Branches
Three branches were established: Footscray (closed in 2020 due to facility limitations), Burwood and Springvale.
Over time, MCES became a central institution in Melbourne’s Chinese community. Grandma 于筑生 always dreamed of a full-time Chinese school, striving to expand beyond Saturday classes and integrating Western teachers to align with the Education Department.
In the 1990s, she explored opportunities to acquire a public school but could not find suitable partners. Even into the 2000s, she continued pursuing her career, always keeping the dream alive.
Today
I am deeply honoured to continue my grandmother’s legacy as the Principal of MCES, stepping into this role in 2024 at the age of 23. Nurturing Chinese language and culture in Melbourne is a mission that has been close to my heart since I was a student here myself. I learned Mandarin at this very school and, after completing Year 12 and my VCE Chinese units at MCES, I even had the joy of teaching lower year levels before taking on the responsibility of leading the school.
My grandmother chose the name “Melbourne Chinese Ethnic School” because she hoped the spirit of Chinese ethnic culture would flourish here and endure for generations. Although taking on the principal role was not originally part of my plans, it has now become something I am proud to be a part of. When the role was offered to many teachers and community members, no one else stepped forward, and I felt a deep responsibility to carry forward her vision.
Being part of this school, where my own journey began, and now helping guide the next generation, is an experience that fills me with gratitude, pride, and a heartfelt commitment to continue her remarkable legacy.
