Guest
Qiu Zhongning
Interview Background
Jing'an District boasts a long history, a thriving economy, and a profound educational heritage. Historically, distinguished educators such as Cai Yuanpei, Chen Heqin, and Liu Fonian have left invaluable intellectual legacies here. Education affects every family and plays a vital role in people's livelihoods. Jing'an District's education system has steadfastly embraced the educational ideals of its pioneers, continually fostering a learner-centered ecosystem that supports the lifelong development of all residents.
Host:
Hello everyone. Today, we are joined by Qiu Zhongning, Director of the Education Bureau of Jing'an District. Welcome, Mr. Qiu!
Qiu Zhongning:
Hello, host. Hello, everyone.
Host:
Jing'an District boasts a long history, a thriving economy, and a profound educational heritage. Historically, distinguished educators such as Cai Yuanpei, Chen Heqin, and Liu Fonian have left invaluable intellectual legacies here. Education affects every family and plays a vital role in people's livelihoods. Jing'an District's education system has steadfastly embraced the educational ideals of its pioneers, continually fostering a learner-centered ecosystem that supports the lifelong development of all residents.
Qiu Zhongning:
Yes. Currently, Jing'an is establishing itself as the central district of an international metropolis. In education, the Education Bureau of Jing'an District is committed to fostering qualities such as national identity, international understanding, and global competence in students. We guide students to understand the defining characteristics of our era, instill cultural confidence, broaden their global perspectives and vision, and enhance their sense of mission to bravely shoulder the responsibilities of the times.
Host:
Mr. Qiu, could you share with us your insights on education for international understanding through the lens of the concept "Chinese root, global vision"?
Qiu Zhongning:
Certainly. During the basic education phase, Jing'an emphasizes international perspectives and multicultural education, helping students broaden their horizons, deepen their understanding, and foster shared consensus. Shanghai Daning International Elementary School has put forward the development concept of "laying the foundation for global competence". This philosophy is integrated into the school's curriculum system, which blends the five domains of education (moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor). Guided by the developmental characteristics of primary school students, the school encourages students to explore and practice, and clarifies the cultivation of global competence in primary school students from the national, child-centered, and curricular perspectives.
Host:
What innovative initiatives have you introduced at the high school level?
Qiu Zhongning:
In regular high schools, we are piloting international courses to provide enhanced curriculum resources that foster innovative capacity and support the sustainable development of outstanding senior high school students. Shanghai Shixi High School integrates the IBDP international curriculum with the Chinese curriculum, employing inquiry-based, research-oriented, and project-based teaching methods. The school places great emphasis on educating students about traditional Chinese culture, cultivating a sense of national identity, while also encouraging a global outlook and fostering respect for and understanding of diverse cultures.
Host:
We know that, in addition to its commitment to education for international understanding, Jing'an has been consistently dedicated to advancing scientific education for its students.
Qiu Zhongning:
Yes. At the 45th Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, two teams from Shanghai Daning International Elementary School won the championships in the AI Tech-NO-Art and Rocking World Detour categories for the primary school group. Scientific education in Jing'an is centered on the curriculum. Schools implement a deeply integrated approach, combining subjects such as information technology, practical skills, nature studies, science, morality, and the rule of law to establish a localized new model for the implementation of national curricula. Additionally, more than 70 distinctive innovation laboratories have been established, spanning diverse fields such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, energy, information technology, and aerospace. Students in Jing'an can book these facilities through the Jing'an District Personalized Learning Appointment Platform for Primary and Secondary School Students, which provides robust support for students with a passion and aptitude for innovation.
Host:
Thank you for your introduction, Mr. Qiu. Now, let's discuss the educational ecosystem of Jing'an. Jing'an boasts a rich and diverse educational environment, and its level of quality and balance has consistently been among the highest in the city. Mr. Qiu, could you explain how Jing'an has accomplished this?
Qiu Zhongning:
Certainly. At the preschool education stage, Jing'an District has 12 municipal demonstration kindergartens and 43 municipal first-tier kindergartens, with quality public kindergartens accounting for 88.5% of the total. For the compulsory education stage, we have one educational district, 14 education groups, and nine municipal new high-quality project schools. We also feature various types of schools, such as Shanghai Jiulong Model Middle School, which admits school-age youth from economically disadvantaged families, Shanghai Huimin Middle School and Shanghai Gongkang Junior Middle School, both of which enroll students from ethnic minority groups, and Shanghai Shidai Middle School, the only boarding junior high school in Shanghai. In addition, by leveraging the strengths of university faculty teams, we have established schools such as Shanghai International Studies University Suhewan Experimental Middle School, and the High School Affiliated to Shanghai Theatre Academy. Furthermore, Jing'an collaborates with the Shanghai Xiehe Education Center to manage the Shanghai United International School Peiming Campus. At the high school level, we offer a diverse range of institutions, including academic regular high schools, characteristic regular high schools, and experimental demonstration high schools. Notably, Jing'an boasts seven municipal experimental demonstration high schools and one municipal characteristic regular high school, making it one of the districts in Shanghai with the greatest number of experimental demonstration high schools.
Host:
The reputation of Jing'an District for quality education has been firmly established in society.
Qiu Zhongning:
Yes. According to Shanghai's green indicator assessment, Jing'an District demonstrates outstanding overall performance, with both academic quality and student life quality maintaining high standards year after year. The "excellent rate of student physical health" rose from 59% in 2020 to 65% in 2023, placing Jing'an among the leading districts in Shanghai.
Host:
In the era of lifelong learning, social education, as the most accessible form of learning for the public, has assumed particular significance. In recent years, Jing'an has been committed to building "education-friendly communities", striving to establish a modern model of educational governance where education takes place within society, and society possesses a deep understanding of education.
Qiu Zhongning:
Indeed, especially in 2022, we engaged in close collaboration with the Jiangning Road Sub-district, jointly developing the "Lening Sharing" curriculum. By fully embracing the historical heritage and community resources of the sub-district, we effectively improved the quality of after-school education in local schools. In terms of family education guidance, Jing'an has implemented the "Top Teachers and Quality Classes Enter Families" initiative, fostering a synergistic ecosystem among families, schools, and communities to promote holistic student development. An "Online Parent School" has been established, covering all families with children in primary schools throughout Jing'an District, enabling parents to access tailored educational resources on demand. A specialized Family Education Guidance Center has been established, which curates a "monthly lecture menu" to provide high-quality educational forums for all parents in Jing'an. This year, 11 lectures have been held, with the number of online views totaling 11,100.
Host:
What are the key tasks in lifelong education?
Qiu Zhongning:
One of the key priorities in lifelong education is helping elderly residents within our district bridge the digital divide, enabling them to fully enjoy the quality of modern life. In 2022, Jing'an District developed and released the Standard Guide for the Elderly to Overcome the Digital Divide. Last year, the guide was upgraded from version 1.0 to 2.0. Additionally, a senior digital education curriculum was introduced, comprising 12 themes such as smart social networking, smart government services, smart medical treatment, and smart mobility. In 2023, 250 senior digital education outreach sessions were held in local communities, with a project satisfaction rate of 98%. This year, we have planned 295 events to further assist elderly residents in overcoming the digital divide.
Host:
Thanks for your introduction. What strategic vision does Jing'an have for future educational development?
Qiu Zhongning:
In the future, we will endeavor to provide high-quality education and support lifelong development for all residents. For education, Jing'an will faithfully adhere to President Xi Jinping’s important guidance on educational work, uphold the people-oriented development philosophy, ensure attentive care for young children and high-quality education for students, deliver benefits and convenience to the public, and continuously respond to Jing'an residents’ aspirations for quality education.
Host:
Thank you for your insights. That concludes today's interview. Thank you, Mr. Qiu.
Qiu Zhongning:
Thank you, everyone! Goodbye!