On the morning of September 9, 2025, as the 41st Teachers' Day approached, Professor Jordan Naidoo from the UNESCO International Centre for Teacher Education and Professor Noriko Katayama, along with her teachers and students from Kyoto University of Education in Japan, arrived at SESID for a friendly visit and educational exchange. They were warmly welcomed by Chen Hui, Deputy Party Secretary of the school, Fu Yun, Director of the International Division, as well as teachers and student representatives.

During the welcome ceremony, Mr. Chen extended a heartfelt welcome to the delegation and conveyed sincere greetings to all visiting teachers and students. He provided a detailed introduction of SESID’s educational history, philosophy, campus development, and international characteristics, with a special emphasis on the school’s innovative curriculum, including the development of a school-based curriculum system, interdisciplinary teaching practices, and the in-depth application of AI teaching platforms. The visiting teachers and students showed strong interest in the school’s curriculum design, leading to in-depth discussions on class schedules, teaching content, and evaluation methods. At the end of the ceremony, both sides exchanged gifts as a token of Sino-Japanese friendship and educational cooperation, expressing their shared desire to sustain and expand exchanges in more areas in the future.

 On the first day of the visit, the delegation observed classroom teaching in various subjects. Teachers from SESID designed multiple demonstration lessons: in the art class, teachers and students used lines and colours to express the artistic conception of mountains and clouds; during the math lesson, the teacher skillfully incorporated learning tips to stimulate students’ thinking; in the English class, students actively and maturely engaged in exploring new knowledge, creating a lively atmosphere; the music class featured the classic Japanese anime Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, using melody to facilitate cultural exchange; and the science class involved fun experiments and group collaboration, allowing the Japanese graduate students to naturally join in the students’ classroom activities.

At noon, the guests and our teachers and students enjoyed a special performance by the Shanghai Beijing Opera Theatre. Ms. Hu Lisha vividly explained the history of Beijing Opera, the different role types (e.g., sheng, dan, jing, chou), and the symbolism behind the colours of the jingju (Beijing Opera) facial masks. Professional performers presented excerpts from classic plays such as Autumn River, Chisang Town, and Farewell My Concubine , which were met with warm applause. After the performance, the Japanese graduate students actively asked questions based on their classroom observations and cultural experiences. Deputy Secretary Chen and Director Fu responded in detail, leading to in-depth discussions on educational concepts, teaching methods, and cultural differences between China and Japan.

On September 10, Teachers’ Day, the delegation was invited to participate in the school’s celebration activities. Together with our faculty, the visiting teachers and students experienced the strong atmosphere of respecting teachers and valuing education, gaining a deeper understanding of the humanistic spirit of Chinese educators.

After the celebration, the graduate students entered science, English, music, and other classrooms in groups. They not only observed the learning practices of Chinese students but also took part in interactive sessions, experiencing firsthand the distinctive features of Chinese classroom teaching. In addition, through lively and engaging teaching methods, they created vivid and interesting international cultural exchange experiences for the students.

On the morning of September 11, led by Director Fu Yun, the visiting teachers and students visited East Shanghai Experimental School. Principal Qiu Honghao introduced the school's educational philosophy, curriculum features, and campus environment in detail to the delegation. Moreover, two math classes were organized for the delegation to observe. The beautiful campus environment and wonderful classes won high praise from the visiting teachers and students.

In the afternoon, Deputy Secretary Chen Hui and Director Fu Yun led the visiting group to visit Secondary School Campus. They also observed a math class for the first-year senior high school students. After class, Principal Chen Xingye and Director Zhu Lin attended the teaching case seminar. Principal Chen welcomed the delegation, expressing the hope that exchanges and reciprocal visits would promote the further growth of teachers from both sides. Director Zhu introduced the role of Shanghai Experimental School in the construction of national courses. Together with Deputy Secretary Chen Hui, Director Fu Yun, and the teacher who gave the lessons, she answered the delegation's questions in detail.

During this exchange, the Shanghai Experimental School Group fully demonstrated the charm of Shanghai education to international experts and the Kyoto University of Education delegation. The delegation's teaching also broadened our students' global perspective. We expect continued inter-school exchanges and reciprocal visits in the future.

初审｜蒋凯裕

 联合国教科文组织教师教育中心

复审｜傅筠

终审｜陈慧