From October 28 to 29, a fourteen-member Austrian education delegation visited Shanghai's Jing'an District for educational exchange. The delegation included officials from the Vienna Board of Education and teachers from various educational levels. By visiting Shanghai Jing'an Zhabei No.1 Central Primary School and Shanghai YF Vocational & Polytechnic School, the delegation learned about Shanghai's distinctive features in basic education and vocational education and experienced the vigorous development of education in Jing'an District.
October 28
The delegation's first stop was at Shanghai Jing'an Zhabei No.1 Central Primary School. Accompanied by Cai Zhejiong and school administrators, the delegation members toured the campus to learn about the school's historical development and educational philosophy. The school's "living education" philosophy of "everything for children" won high praise from the delegation members.
Subsequently, the delegation observed a comprehensive mathematics practical activity class titled Magic Shape and Color Cards taught by Qiu Shengnan, which vividly demonstrated the school's distinctive mathematics teaching features. After the class, Vice Principal Zhang Yijing gave a presentation titled Let Children Embrace the World of Mathematics with Joy, detailing the school's recent research achievements in the field of integrated practical mathematics courses.
Following that, led by enthusiastic students, delegation members participated in the school's mathematics festival activities. They joined students in building cubes, arranging clock faces, and solving tangram puzzles, experiencing the charm of mathematics. In the school's "Mathematics Club", delegation members were particularly impressed by the school's strong support for students' individualized development in mathematics.
After the mathematics festival activities, children from the Shanghai Jing'an Zhabei No.1 Central Primary School's Peking Opera Club, dressed in exquisite traditional Peking Opera costumes, presented handmade Peking Opera-themed gifts to the delegation members, and took memorable group photos.
In the afternoon, Qiu Zhongning, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Jing'an District's Education Bureau and Director of the Education Bureau, held discussions with the delegation. Qiu first extended a warm welcome to the delegation. Both sides then engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussions on topics including the basic education systems and curriculum arrangements of both countries, enhancing mutual understanding and deepening friendship.
October 29
The delegation then visited Shanghai YF Vocational & Polytechnic School. Accompanied by the school's Party Secretary Yang Zhou, Principal Shen Lan, and others, the delegation toured various featured spaces, including the "Yixiang Show" student work exhibition space, Huashan Art Gallery, clothing and jewelry training areas, and fine arts studios. They learned about the school's educational characteristics, specialized courses, and campus culture. The students' distinctive cultural and creative works and the school's advanced and comprehensive training facilities received unanimous recognition from delegation members.
After the tour, the delegation held in-depth discussions with school leaders. On behalf of the school, Shen Lan extended a sincere welcome to the delegation members and provided detailed information about the current status and development trends of vocational education in China and Shanghai, the school's history and educational philosophy, and elaborated on the school's practical exploration in professional and teaching quality assurance. Shen also detailed the school's innovative initiatives and significant achievements in vocational education.
Through these exchanges, delegation members gained a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Shanghai's vocational education development and its distinctive advantages. Subsequently, both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as vocational education systems in both countries and teachers' professional development. The meeting concluded with an exchange of gifts between representatives from both sides, bringing this exchange to a perfect close.
This exchange activity not only promoted mutual understanding between China and Austria in the field of education but also established a platform for interactive learning and experience sharing between both sides, laying a solid foundation for future exchanges and visits.