Many international schools often emphasize international perspectives, but some schools still have problems such as insufficient national identity and chaotic value orientation. Nowadays, the state and local governments are paying more and more attention to introducing national consciousness and traditional culture into international schools, and a series of policies and regulations have been introduced to regulate and guide.
Wu Zhenzhen, principal of Changsha Weixi International School & Changsha Weisi School, shared her personal views on "national consciousness and international vision" at the 2021 VIS International Education Development Conference, she believes that talking about red genes and national consciousness in international schools is not contrary to harmony, but it needs more thinking and wisdom, finding the entry point, and using the way students like in the Internet age.
Wu Zhenzhen
Principal of Changsha Weixi International School & Changsha Weisi School
#1 It is not against the red gene for international schools to talk about red genes
Wu Zhenzhen, who is the principal of both an ordinary private international school and a school for children of expatriates, has a deep sense of international vision and national consciousness.
As we all know, international schools and schools for children of expatriates accept teachers and students from all over the world, from different backgrounds and nationalities, and have a broader international perspective. However, in China, especially in the compulsory education stage, international schools should and must emphasize national consciousness, which is a big challenge for Wu Zhenzhen.
When she first became principal, she faced two sharp questions:
Parents
Do international schools take politics classes?
(This is the name of the parents, in fact, it is now called the ideological and political class)
Do you want to educate on patriotism?
Wu Zhenzhen affirmed this. The arrangement of the current ideological and political teaching materials keeps pace with the times, fully reflects the people-oriented, serves the growth of students, highlights the rule of law education, strengthens the media literacy education, and also emphasizes the global awareness. For example, primary school students will learn rights and obligations; teachers will lead students to design class rules that conform to the actual situation of the class, and they can also divide and decorate the functional areas of the class according to the students' ideas; junior high school students will not only learn the basic knowledge of the construction of the national legal system, but also explore how to use the Internet correctly and how to protect themselves in the process of online dating.
At the same time, she believes that patriotic education is compulsory in every country, which is not unique on the mainland. For example, some experts have pointed out that in the United States, many Hollywood blockbusters have American-style patriotic propaganda.
Will the "I love you China" banner on campus disgust foreign teachers and students?
teacher
Her school is a community of learners that integrates schools for children of expatriates with private international schools. When the National Day came, some teachers hoped to hang a banner on the third floor that read "I love you China", but they were worried that foreigners would be disgusted by it. Wu Zhenzhen said bluntly that no matter in which country, loving the motherland is a bright and upright thing. A person who travels to any country to work and live, or even travel, should be motivated by love, want to know, or at least be able to adapt. If he can't even accept this sentence, then he should consider whether it is appropriate to stay here.
Since then, Wu Zhenzhen has continued to think about how international schools, especially schools for children of foreign nationals, should do a good job in publicizing traditional culture, how to interpret China's excellent policies and guidelines, and let foreign friends truly understand and thus identify.
In January 2019, the joint party branch of Changsha Weixi International Weisi School was officially established. Wu Zhenzhen, secretary Li Yan and deputy secretary Tang Xinying often discussed how to carry out party building work in international schools.
When carrying out party building work in international schools, we should not consider whether we can or dare to do so, but should consider how to use so that teachers and students in the new era can accept the mainland's party building culture and red genes from the bottom of their hearts.
Wu Zhenzhen believes that red genes are very suitable for international schools, because red genes themselves have two major characteristics: young and international.
Dating back to 1919, a group of young people campaigned for China, most of them had a study background, an international vision, and brought back excellent cultural concepts and technologies from abroad. Therefore, at present, it is not contrary to international schools to explore red culture and patriotism, and it is necessary to take appropriate and effective measures in teachers' teaching, classroom environment, and cultural inheritance.
1
Ideology is not lax
The ideological work of teachers in international schools cannot be relaxed for a moment, but we must pay attention to methods and methods, respect the national conditions of the mainland, and also take into account the feelings of other Chinese teachers and students. In the teaching, especially in the case of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and other countries at the same time, all Chinese and foreign teachers need to convey the idea of "one China".
2
There are regulations on the layout of the environment
Classroom layouts in international schools should be subject to regulations. According to the National Flag Law of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese national flag must be used in accordance with the law, the position of the national flag is not lower than other flags, the national flag is not cross-hung, vertically hung or upside down, and the foreign flag is not in the main position of the school.
In addition, the flag-raising ceremony should not be too casual. The national flag and anthem of other countries can be introduced during daily activities to promote different countries, but the flag-raising ceremony is limited to the host country.
3
Cultural heritage is innovative
In international schools, many students choose to study foreign Chinese, Western-style art and culture, but it is actually difficult to surpass the level of foreign local students. In this case, the school needs to think about how to reflect the characteristics and values of the mainland, and how to achieve the goal of "students taking Chinese culture to the world".
When international schools carry out traditional culture education, they need to innovate more innovative ways and methods, introducing the piano in English, and also introducing the guqin. Moreover, the school cannot separate Chinese and foreign students, even foreign students, can let them accept China's excellent culture, and from the heart to bring Chinese culture to the world.
#2 Acceptable to foreign teachers and students
Traditional Chinese Culture and National Consciousness
Chinese culture is broad and profound, and the traditional cultural courses offered by some international schools are superficial and do not deeply explore the cultural connotations. However, when Wu Zhenzhen became the principal of the two schools, he found that it was not as difficult as imagined for an international school to inherit traditional Chinese culture and national consciousness while having an international perspective.
How to define traditional culture?
When it comes to traditional Chinese culture, many foreign teachers and students tend to narrowly understand clothing and food. After years of exploration, Wu Zhenzhen's school found that traditional culture should not be limited to this, but should be taught in ancient literature, science and technology, economic development and other aspects.
For example, she believes that Xi Liuyi's "Lile Shooting Royal Book Number" summarizes many disciplines and after-school quality education, and the educational idea of "teaching according to aptitude, teaching without class" corresponds to personalized education in modern education. Wu Zhenzhen also suggested that teachers should narrow the scope of teaching in Chinese culture classes and take the "characters" that students are familiar with and acceptable as the unit theme. Teachers can also infiltrate geography, history, economy and other knowledge such as the ancient Silk Road into the classroom according to current hot events, such as the "Belt and Road".
Traditional culture is cleverly combined with modernity
Changsha Weixi International School takes "Wen li xin" as its motto - derived from Confucius's "four teachings of the son". Wu Zhenzhen believes that to promote the school motto with Chinese characteristics to foreign teachers and students, we must first have an excellent English version and spread it in a language they are familiar with. Therefore, good ideas need to be expressed in modern language first – especially excellent ancient texts and poems – and then translated into appropriate English to make them conform to English norms.
In order to facilitate the acceptance and memory of foreign teachers and students, Wu Zhenzhen and his school team also correspond to the "Wenxing Letter" with the IB Ten Training Goals, and at the same time combine it with the college spirit of the four colleges. Foreign teachers and students will be more receptive because the promotion of relevant traditional culture is related to personal life.
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Image source: Wu Zhenzhen VIS speech PPT
National consciousness and international vision are equally important
It should be noted that when promoting the traditional culture of the mainland, it is not only about Chinese consciousness, but about national consciousness. Culture is wonderful because of diversity, and building a community with a shared future for mankind is not just a slogan, but should tolerate and respect different cultures. Teachers and students of different nationalities have a sense of their hometown and motherland, and the mainland first respects their cultural background and shares the wonderful platform of different countries, so that the school is truly diversified and international.
In an international society, identity is not only a requirement for Chinese students, but also foreign teachers and students have a sense of identity in their own country. Nowadays, with the increasing number of Chinese students in international schools, how to ensure the identity and international vision of foreign teachers and students is also very important.
Schools for children of expatriates should emphasize national awareness, and everyone should love their hometown and spread the excellent culture of their hometown. Changsha Weixi International School held a joint "Sing the Motherland" activity with Changsha Weisi School on National Day 2019. When the classic melody of "My Motherland and Me" sounds, Chinese students wave small national flags in their hands, while foreign teachers and students (who participate voluntarily) wear their own national costumes or hold ornaments symbolizing their own country, and everyone is proud of their country.
Because in today's era, only the feelings of home and country and the sense of the country, people will be narrow-minded and not open enough; but if there is only an international vision and no national consciousness, people are likely to lose themselves. This era is not only Chinese students, but also all students in the world. The goal of mainland educators in educating Chinese students should also be the goal of educating students around the world.
Wu Zhenzhen proposed that we should remember the sixteen-character motto proposed by Mr. Fei Xiaotong and truly implement it in the work of international schools.
Each nation has its own unique side; the beauty of beauty, we need to learn the strengths of other cultures; beauty and beauty, unity and difference, in the same school, to achieve equal and fair development, in the end can the world be the same.