Study Queenstown media release: Principals from Queenstown's Sister City discover innovation in learning

Media release from Study Queenstown:

A visiting contingent of school principals from Queenstown's sister city of Hangzhou discovered last week why the learning environment here is so appealing. The group was led by Mr Yefang Sun, the Education Bureau director of Hangzhou and included Principals from research Institutes and experimental schools as well as more contemporary primary and middle schools.

The visit was facilitated by Study Queenstown's lead Aaron Halstead, and supported by the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, QLDC, Destination Queenstown, Queenstown Primary School and Wakatipu High School. The visiting Principals were very excited by the learning environments here and the wide range of subjects available to Wakatipu students. They were particularly excited by the gender equality representation across a range of subjects they were able to witness in action at the high school, and the innovative learning and discovery environment students at the primary school were exposed to. The outcomes and achievements of the high school were noted by the delegation as outstanding in terms of educational performance and extra-curricular accolades.  

Mr Yefang was very impressed with students being exposed to many different cultures in a primary school setting - over 20 at Queenstown Primary School, and also couldn't believe the students were building structures such as fences and planter gardens. Mrs Tang Yuhong made one notable comment that most New Zealanders wouldn't blink at - "do the students really wear these shorts in winter? We had heard of this but didn't believe it!". Mrs Yuhong was assured that it built resilience in Kiwi kids and was an accepted norm across the country.

The group was met and introduced to their respective schools by Principal Fiona Cavanagh of Queenstown Primary School, and Acting Principal Oded Nathan of Wakatipu High School. They were also accompanied by Chinese students studying in Queenstown at both schools, and two staff members at Queenstown Primary School from the Confucius Institute at the University of Canterbury.  The delegation was supported in a wider context through the Institute of Professional Learning with the Hangzhou-New Zealand ‘Intercultural Understanding’ Principals Forum in Hamilton.  

ENDS.