领军校长专访｜上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：融合中西教育精粹，懂中国，也懂世界

导语

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Time flies, but human thoughts are immortal. Things change, but ideals remain forever.

本文为上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文的领军校长专访。

Following is an exclusive interview withMaxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education.

校长名片

卢慧文

上海协和教育中心总校长

上海市政协常委

上海市民办教育协会副会长

华东师范大学国际汉语文化学院

研究生校外导师

上海师范大学教育学院兼职教授

剑桥国际教育咨询委员会委员-东亚区代表

先后参与或主持了由协和教育举办的九所双语学校的创建工作，主持推动了多所学校的校本课程开发、教研课题研究和教师专业发展项目。多所协和学校在创建的最初几年即成为当地声名卓著的优质教育资源。其教育理念和实践探索经历被国内外多家主要媒体报道，并获多项专业领域奖项。近年来，陆续被剑桥大学国际考评中心聘任为教育咨询委员会委员-东亚区唯一代表、被华东师范大学国际汉语文化学院聘为研究生校外导师、被上海师范大学教育学院聘为兼职教授，并在中国民办教育协会、上海民办教育协会中担任管理工作。

Maxine Lu

General Principal of Xiehe Education

Standing Committee Member, Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)；

Vice Chairman of Shanghai Association for Non-Government Education；

External Mentor for Masters of School of International Chinese Studies, East China Normal University；

Part-time Professor of School of Education, Shanghai Normal University；

Representative for East Asia for Cambridge International Education Advisory Board

She participated in or presided over the establishment of nine SUIS schools founded by Xiehe Education.

She has also presided over the promotion of school-based curriculum development, teaching & research projects, and teachers professional development projects in a number of schools. Within the first few years of the establishment, many SUIS schools became renowned as the local elite educational resources.

Maxine’s educational philosophy and practical exploration have been featured in major national and international media and have won several awards in their fields of expertise. In recent years, Maxine was appointed as the only Representative for East Asia for Cambridge International Education Advisory Board by the Cambridge Assessment International Education, the External Mentor for Masters of School of International Chinese Studies, East China Normal University, and the Part-time Professor of School of Education, Shanghai Normal University. Maxine also takes the management roles in the China Association for Non-Government Education and the Shanghai Association for Non-Government Education.

学校简介

“协和教育”创始于1993年的上海，秉持“融合中西，和谐发展”的核心价值，是中国民办基础教育发展探索的先行者与引领者；现已在上海、江苏无锡、福建厦门以及安徽合肥等地举办40余所幼儿园、10余所中小学、1个课程中心、并受邀托管若干所公办幼儿园及学校，在校学生来自全球40多个国家和地区，已成为中国最具影响力的优质双语教育机构之一、业界品牌声誉首屈一指。

Xiehe Education, founded in 1993 in Shanghai and bearing “Developing in Harmony, where East Meets West” as its core value, has become a pioneer and leader in the exploration of Chinese non-governmental K-12 education. Thus far, Xiehe has already founded more than 40 kindergartens and 10 schools, and one academy in Shanghai, Wuxi (Jiangsu Province), Xiamen (Fujian Province), Hefei (Anhui Province) and other cities in China, with students from over 40 countries and regions around the world. Xiehe has also been invited to host a number of public kindergartens and schools in China. At present, Xiehe Education has grown into one of the most influential bilingual education organizations, recognized for the highest-quality education, in China.

1

以人为本，

将文化融入骨血

京领：请问您如何结缘于国际教育领域，您认为国际教育与国内教育最大的不同是什么？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：我大学就读于华东师范大学的对外汉语专业，大家当时对国际教育的理解还停留在教外国人学汉语，或者教中国人学外语的层面。在我们入行的时候，国际教育还是原汁原味的英美教育，和中国教育并行，两者互不来往。后来，随着国际教育本身的内涵和外延的不断变化，以及大家通过对国际课程的操盘和教学，更了解国际教育之后，就开始慢慢地将世界上好的教育资源和教育方法融合起来，既培养中国孩子走向世界，也培养外籍孩子了解、热爱中国。在这样的背景下，我觉得国际教育对我的吸引力更大了，所以也就更热爱这个领域了。

我认为国际教育和国内教育没有什么特别大的区别，教育就是为了每一个国家培养未来的人才，也为地球培养下一代。我们协和经常说“Chinese Roots, Global Wings”，这是针对中国孩子的，但我想别的国家的孩子也有他们自己的Roots和Global Wings，这就是国际教育和国内教育当中相同和不同的点。相同的点在于对下一代，孩子们要面对很多国际性的竞争，所以他们一定要有全球视野，有大格局、大眼光。但他们首先还是一个本国人。所以，我个人认为国际教育当中含有中国教育，但中国教育有着自己的特点。

从实操层面来考虑，国际教育和国内教育升学通道有所不同。小学和初中更多地是打好各方面的基础，但是到了高中还是要决定走国际高校还是国内高校。我们国内高校是统考制的，国际高校是申请制的，统考制的更需要补上短板，而申请制的更需要拉长长板，所以在教育过程中会有很大的战术上的不同，这都是由选拔机制的不同决定的。

其实，我认为不应该给教育贴上一个标签，将它定义为国际教育还是国内教育。我现在在上海市中心的一所公办托管校工作，它虽然是一所中国的学校，但孩子们将来也是要走向世界舞台中央的，所以它也要符合这个城市所在的地区——社会主义国际化大都市的定位，它不可能去排斥国际教育元素的有效结合。所以，你中有我，我中有你，各种方法和手段都是为培养目标而服务的，我认为在这个方面，国际教育与国内教育是同大于异的。

京领：您的教育理念和办学理念是什么？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：简而言之，就是以人为本。我觉得教育就是关于人的事业，我们把学生的成长放在所有工作的正中间。特别是当校长了之后，我认为要以教师的专业成长为推动力去影响学生的成长。所以在校长的工作中，要以教师为本，帮助他们解决困惑，获得专业成长；也要鼓励他们，给他们平台，向他们投入资源，便于他们能够更好地为学生服务。

在当了协和总校长之后，对于学校的管理层，我也坚持以人为本。协和投入了大量的精力去培养管理人才。如果要坚持以学生为本，那么作为校长，就一定要以老师为本，要辅助他们；作为校区管理者，就要以校区的管理层作为抓手，通过他们来影响学校、影响学生，否则以学生为本是很难落实下去的。随着工作岗位的变化，也要尝试找到不同的抓手去落实一直坚持的理念。

京领：作为总校长，您如何确保以人为本的理念在教师和管理层中得以贯彻？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：我认为这是一种愿景，首先，校长应对愿景进行明确的阐述和表达，并且在大大小小的集会、互动中不断地强调。比如，我们要办什么样的学校，要通过什么样的资源策略来完成我们的教育目标、战略目标、发展定位等。虽然我们是一个多语言、多文化背景的机构，我们的近3000名教师，他们操着各地的语言，有不同的原有经验，但是慢慢地，这种愿景就会转化成文化。

第二层次是将愿景转化成文化。我们特别注重校园文化的塑造，这种文化可以从最浅层次的校园布置到学校员工的行事方式，例如：我们怎么开会，我们怎么评估，我们如何组织学校的活动。到最后，这就会变成一种行事的习惯。

第三层次是不断地去搭建平台，投入资源。无论是老师还是学生，都可以把舞台和聚光灯给他们，然后在他们朝着这个方向走的时候，给他掌声，在他失败的时候给他鼓励，从而激发他们内心的愿景。

2

三十年探索积累，

推动实现中西融合的核心价值

京领：您带领协和学校一步步打通了中西壁垒，成功建设了融汇中西的国际化学校，那么您认为成功打造一所中西融合的学校，最重要的方面是什么？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：最重要的还是顶层设计。从学校最高管理层的角度来说，如何去搭建中西融合的学校是很有学问的，但是也要根据实际情况。我们早年入行的时候，基本上都是给外籍校长当助理，因为我们需要通过学习去积累经验。后来，随着我们自己的成熟以及国家政策的逐步调整，我们进入了中外专家的协同管理阶段。

现在更多的是在义务教育阶段，中方为主，外方分管。但无论如何，如果学校将中西融合作为其核心价值，在顶层管理中就一定要有这样的设计和安排，包括怎样去磨合这支团队，这才是核心竞争力。因为中外校长们之间的合作，是无法单纯用一个Job Description写出来的，如果相互之间不能相互信任、彼此依靠的话，是无法做到真正的中西融合的。协和最核心的竞争力之一，就是我们在中外校长的合作上，通过二三十年的打磨、调整与争执，寻找到了适合的方式。

我在协和搭档过七、八个不同的外方校长，我们在创校的前半年时间里都是陌生人。所以除了日常工作之外，每个周日我们还要一起在咖啡馆里进行非正式的沟通，交流理念和想法。通过这种非正式的沟通，我们可以了解对方的底线、脾性和风格，等到正式工作的时候，双方都可以避开一些对方的强硬底线部分。慢慢地，就可以在日常工作中积累起一种信任和默契。

例如，最近几年，民办教育在义务教育阶段、基础教育阶段受到的限制很多，如果中外校长之间没有良好的信任和默契，他们会觉得增加中方课程、调整教材、迎接督导等要求是在不断地压缩他们的生存空间。但是，如果中外校长之间有良好的默契，他们就会知道你所做的每一件事情都是为了使学校变得更好，是为了安全地朝着学校的愿景前进，目标并没有改变。同时，还会因为我们是本地人，更知道怎样做更能符合当下的政策环境，他们会很信任我们，还会适时地为我们提供帮助。

京领：请问协和学校在打造中西融合的国际化教育方面，有哪些令您引以为傲的成绩？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：首先是家长的认可。协和在刚开始起步的时候，可能包括上海家长在内对什么是中西文化融合的教育，什么是好的融合教育也都不熟悉。他们会认为不是原汁原味的就是不好的；在升学成绩上，没有听说过的学校都不是好学校。但是协和成立至今已经30年了，也拥有了一大批“协和铁粉”。他们最喜欢的就是协和既不是原汁原味的舶来品，也不走很卷的国内独木桥，协和重视的是在教育过程中让孩子们呈现出在那个年龄段该达到的状态。协和教育是面向未来的教育，是帮助孩子们能够很好地迎接他们所要迎接的挑战的教育，在这个过程中，就是要借用世界各地好的教育资源。得到家长们的认可是一件值得骄傲的事，因为无论是以前的面谈招生还是现在的摇号入学，都有这么多家长愿意坚定地追随我们。

其次，我认为是主流的注目。2022年义务教育课程方案出台，新方案中的很多措辞，都和我们多年来的实践密切相关，包括跨学科、大单元、项目化的学习，还有鼓励实践、鼓励体验等。所以一方面，他们会派教研员、教育学院来研究协和的课程，然后从中提炼出好的部分；另一方面，由于国家新课标的号召，国家的、地区的、政府的优质教育资源也会发动起来。以前的跨学科探究都只能我们自己做，但现在政府开始也做这些，而且老师们学习的时候还能拿到学分，我觉得这是一个很大的进步。现在有很多的公办学校或者地区的教育学院也想和协和合作，希望我们分享跨学科、探究性的培养学生创造力的活动方案，我觉得这是我们值得骄傲和做得成功的地方。

第三点，也是最重要的一点，就是团队的成长。我们入行的时候20岁将近30岁，带我们的老先生们都是从局长或者名校校长岗位上退休下来的，都有60多岁。现在二、三十年过去了，我们50多岁了，当年的老先生们也都80多岁。我们是在一线掌舵的，经过几十年的培养和锻炼，从我们往下的45岁到25岁的教师、管理队伍都有了很好的承接，整个团队的梯队建设都非常棒。

所以我觉得家长、社会、主流的专业体系的认可，还有我们一直没有年龄断层的非常优秀的管理者和教师队伍，都是我们这些年来矢志不渝地做中西融合学校所取得的成绩。

3

虚实相间，

打造一支志同道合的人才队伍

协和

京领：请问学校采取了怎样的举措用以提升教师的教研能力？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：我认为要根据老师们在教学过程中不断面临的问题来采取措施，要虚虚实实。“虚”是要在愿景文化和大的背景当中，激发教师作为一个专业人士内心的成长渴望；“实”是在战术上解决教师每天上课碰到的实际问题。所以我觉得要虚实相间，既要有愿景的引领，同时也要解决他们的问题。

目前，我们教师专业发展（Professional Development）方式十分多样，主要是四项——

第一是专家引领，国内国外都有很多的专家，我们特别喜欢让一些专业书籍的作者来跟大家讲他的理论或者他的书是怎样诞生的，他在这个过程中又是如何做的。我们觉得这样的讲座再结合老师自己的阅读，效果是特别好的。

第二是同伴互助，这种形式在教研活动当中十分有效。教师们相互之间没有太大的心理压力，所以能够更好地取长补短。与专家引领相比，同伴们之间互动性会更强，相互质疑和挑战也比较容易发生。专家引领的优势在于层次比较高，可以提供指导，但却无法提供更多的对话。

因此，我们打破学科界限，在同年级间开展了Students of Concern教研活动。老师们面对的都是同一批学生，通过相互交流，可以了解学生们在其他科目的表现，也可以针对年级中最优秀的或者单科成绩特别突出的一些学生，探讨是否还能给他们提供一些资源，或者能否通过课程之间的协调，让他们免做一些作业，免修一些课程，以便他们能够在自己的长板或者短板上获得更多的关注。

另外，我们也经常开展跨学段的Cross-division PD Session，让小学、初中和高中的老师一起去研究学生的培养。因为我们是幼小初高一贯制的教育体系，如果做得不好就会导致四个学部即使在同一所学校里也互不往来。最近我们做的跨学科主题教学比较多。比如，学校的地理老师、科学老师和劳技老师，他们所在的三个学科组决定要分析一个类似于“多少年后的地球是什么样的”的课题，不同学科的老师会带领学生去分析不同的部分，最后呈现出一个3D立体的作品。

第三是案例研究，在实际中，老师们在课堂里遇到的最大的难题就是孩子差异性大。所以，像差异化教学、及时性的反馈，以及信息技术如何有效地助力教学等案例性的研究是非常必要的。协和拥有科研的基因，我们每年都会做很多校园的微课题，带大家去解决实际问题。我认为只要是在解决实际问题，一定就是跨学科的。因为问题的本质就是帮助孩子们运用已学的知识解决真实的社会问题，所以我们就从案例研究开始不断地去解决实际问题。

最后是自我学习，这是对成年人而言最有效的方式。听很多讲座，参加很多会议，都不如在家安静读书，写工作札记，反思工作。

京领：在您看来一个杰出的领导者应该具备怎样的能力？您在提拔管理层成员时都注重哪些方面？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：我们学校的校级管理层中，大概2/3以上的管理者都是从内部成长起来的，包括外方员工。同时，我们确保还有1/4左右的人选从外部引进，因为我们希望内外的循环也是通畅的，否则就会固步自封。

在外部人才的选拔上，我认为“志同道合”尤为重要。2005年的时候，我和创办人一起去英国，为最初的几所学校遴选外方校长。我们通过“简历筛选——一对一面试——小组讨论”的形式来了解他们的教育理念，考察他们解决棘手问题的能力，最后遴选出最适合我们的人选。除此以外，我们也会邀请他们的家人共进晚餐，观察家人对候选人去中国工作的态度。我们会花费很长时间来考量候选人各个方面的素养，以及确保我们是“志同道合”的，现在如果有外部招聘，我们仍然会这样做。

在内部选拔上，除了硬技能以外，我们更多地还会去考察软技能，因为他们未来要解决的问题都是综合性的。所以首先，对内来讲，要有开阔的心胸格局和悦纳包容的能力；其次，对外来讲，沟通能力必不可少。和政府打交道、和市场打交道时，能否在不同的人面前调整自己的话语系统十分重要；再次，要有后续学习的能力。无论是学习国内的政策文件，还是学习国际的课程文件都需要后续学习的能力；另外，个人魅力也很关键。

为了培养这些能力，协和做了很多的工作，也积累了一些经验。比如，协和的“黄埔军校”干训项目——星计划，迄今为止已经举办了12期，项目的课程板块除了政策研究、宏观教育趋势研究、课程教学素养等，还有外出访学、课题研究等，每期项目为期一年，要求大家每个周末都参与学习。

另外，由于具有集团化办学的优势，中外的新校长们上岗时都会有沉浸式的跟岗学习和岗前培训，每个月也都会组织不同的专题会议，这是我们较单体学校更有优势的地方。

4

与世界同行，

助力面向未来的国际化人才

京领：您认为面向未来的教育模式应该是怎样的？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：我认为这与学生的年龄有关，在幼儿园和小学阶段，最重要的还是要培养学生的学习兴趣。小孩子就做小孩子该做的事情，坐在班级里学基础知识是必要的，但是不要让基础知识的学习变成机械训练。在基础知识以外，更多的还是要让学生去发掘自己的兴趣，要让他们喜爱上学。在幼儿园和小学阶段，无论教育怎样改革或者变化，都要在基本知识扎实的前提下，培养学习兴趣，释放孩子的天性，开发潜能，让他们找到自己的兴趣和特长。

到了初中和高中阶段，因为不可避免地要面临具有难度的选拔，所以我希望教育体系当中能够有多元化的设置、有不同的选择。如今，我们的国情只允许统考制，虽然统考制是目前最公平的一种做法，但统考制倚重客观标准，这是不完全符合未来发展的。所以一定要把路拓宽，让申请制也成为一种可能性，如果国内不可能，就去国际上寻求这样的通道。

其实，国际学校或者双语学校培养的都是家乡和祖国的建设者，因为现在百分之七八十的孩子们大学毕业之后，都是愿意回国发展的。如果没有国际学校或者双语学校，孩子们只能提前出国，或者只能依靠统考制，无论哪一条路都是不利于未来发展的。所以，在幼儿园和小学阶段，要多做一些回归孩子天性的事情；在初中和高中阶段，也要能够允许多元升学通道的存在。

基于此，对老师的要求也相应有所提高。在教学当中，教师要逐步协助孩子们解决身边真实的社会问题，把孩子的个人成长放在心中，把解决真实问题作为工作的抓手。我们要在各种纷繁复杂的事情当中去找到一个有实质性的、在基层有可操作性的路径继续走下去。

京领：您认为未来国际教育该如何更好地传递中国的文化自信？未来协和会有哪些举措？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：我们不断地在过程中内化。最初刚开始拿来主义的时候，可能因为当时的课堂和案例更多都是来自于西方，所以学生在探究的时候就会去探究恐龙等事物，因为这些课程资源是国际上通用的。但我们早就已经摆脱了这样的状态。比如，我们探究竹子，是因为在它之中蕴含了生物学、科学、经济学层面的各种知识，但更是因为它蕴含着“宁可食无肉，不可居无竹”的中国精神。

另外，协和还有模拟政协、走进人大的实践活动。这个概念是从模拟联合国的活动中提取出来的。因为模拟联合国离学生还是比较遥远的，不如模拟政协和模拟人大更贴近生活。所以，当学生们走出国门，被问及中国的民主的时候，他们是能够说出自己的理解的。

协和一贯致力于去解决孩子们身边的问题。中国有非常多美好的事物可以探究，在未来我们也会继续坚持去探索与创新这类实践。世界上其他地区的同行如果积累了一些好的方式，我们也会很好地加以应用，既不会排斥，也绝不会照搬。

京领：协和目前的发展是否达到了目标，您有哪些短期发展目标和长期发展目标可与我们分享？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：发展是永无止境的，不能说现在已经达到了目标，但我们拥有道路自信，我们为自己先前的探索所取得的成就和经验感到自豪和骄傲。

但是，当下也遇到了很多新的困难。比如，我们独立举办的民办中小学，在规模发展上受到了限制。所以我们在思考，究竟能够用怎样的方式让这些年来积累的优质资源，更多地去辐射这个行业；同时，也希望做一些积极的事情，为我们优秀的团队寻求更好的专业上的发展。在将来，可能会有管理层面的输出或者师训资源的分享。协和希望能够把积累的经验以不同的形式传播出去，更好地去影响行业，让更多的学校和我们一起同行。例如，通过师训共同体、联盟等方式分享自己积累的经验，进行提炼和总结，这是我们未来需要去提升的地方。

此外，协和原先是“顺其自然”地发展，因为协和的幼儿园和小学有很多，愿意一路下来在协和读初中、高中的学生也很多。但现在的市场竞争比较惨烈，很多学校在高中阶段会抢夺生源。面对这种情况，协和也会采取更加精准有力的措施，把高中做强做稳固，让孩子们可以真正地在协和接受16年一贯制的教育。未来，我们会更多地在高中学段去做一些调整和强化。

京领：请谈一谈您对于高速发展的AI技术例如ChatGPT的一些思考，您认为它将会对教育产生怎样的影响，或对人才培养的方向产生哪些影响？

上海协和教育中心总校长卢慧文：我是剑桥大学国际教育咨询委员会的成员，也是东亚区的唯一代表。最近，剑桥大学国际教育咨询委员会专门组织了一次这样的讨论，因为剑桥国际也是标化考试机构，他们也非常关心这个问题。

世界各地，无论欧洲、美洲、非洲、亚洲，教育界对它的出现都是高度关注的，都持着一个既欢迎又担心的态度。欢迎是因为它既能大幅提升工作效能，又能大力地推进教育。因为它能从教孩子们回答正确的答案，到学会提出有价值的问题。人工智能会给我们保守的教育界带来一个很大的冲击，所以我们是非常热烈地欢迎的。

但是在现实中大家也有很多的担忧。比如，孩子们的学术诚信问题。大家非常担心如何才能保障学生的学习是真实的。另外，ChatGPT的出现会让现在正在积极推进的过程性评价显得更加无力，这导致了总结性考试的权重越来越大。因为只有在总结性考试中才能纸笔考试，而不是使用电脑，我们才能检验学生到底学会了多少。可能平时学生交的所有的作业都是由人工智能完成的，不参加考试，只依靠过程性分数就已经得到七、八十分了，这就会使过程性评价的设计被颠覆，可能会造成教育的倒退。

此外，还有出于伦理方面的担忧。比如，校长和老师们可能会用ChatGPT写发言稿或者备课，但又不允许学生们使用。学生们就会觉得这是不公平的，是一种双标。所以这种关于伦理的讨论可能会持续很长的一段时间。

各国际组织的态度也都是不一样的。比如，IBO率先表示欢迎大家使用，然后意大利政府又提出严禁使用。所以虽然争议会持续一阵子，但是技术的改革潮流是不可阻挡的。

协和最近也在做大量的相关工作。我们会请微软公司的高管到学校里来讲述ChatGPT在Windows系统里是怎样使用的，以及可以如何帮助老师们。在新技术的利用当中，协和一直是积极的讨论者，但是我们会比较保守一些，因为我们不赶潮流。我们还是以是否最有利于当下学生的培养为判断目标，所以我们不争做先锋，但是我们会保持对它的关注。

【English Version】

1

People-Centered

Integrating Culture

into the Essence

KingLead: How did you get involved in the field of international education and what do you think is the biggest difference between international education and domestic education?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:I studied TCFL（Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language) at East China Normal University. The understanding of international education at that time was still at the level of teaching foreigners Chinese or teaching Chinese people foreign languages. When we joined the industry, international education was still the original British or American education, which was parallel to Chinese education, and both of them did not communicate with the other. Afterwards, as the connotations and extensions of international education changed, and as we became more aware of international education through the teaching of international programmes, we slowly began to integrate the best educational resources and methods from around the world. We not only cultivate Chinese children to go global, but also train foreign children to know and love China. In this context, I feel that international education has become more attractive to me, and so I have become more passionate about this field.

I believe that there is no major difference between international education and domestic education, as education is about nurturing future talents for each country, as well as nurturing the next generation for the planet. In Xiehe, we often stress Chinese Roots and Global Wings, which is directed at Chinese children, but I think children from other countries also have their Roots and Global Wings. These are the similarities and differences between international and domestic education.The same point is for the next generation, children have to face a lot of international competition, so they must have a global perspective and a big vision, and they must be nationals first. Therefore, I believe that international education includes Chinese education, but Chinese education has its own characteristics.

On a practical level, international education is different from domestic education in terms of pathways to higher education. Primary and middle school are more about building a good foundation in various areas, but when you enter high school, you still have to decide whether to go to an international university or a domestic university. Our domestic universities are based on the general examination system, while international universities are based on the application system. The general examination system is more about making up for the shortcomings, while the application system is more about lengthening the long comings, so there is a big tactical difference in the education process, which is determined by the different selection mechanisms.

I don't think education should be labelled or defined as international or domestic education. I work in a public trustee school in Shanghai downtown now. Although it is a Chinese local school, students there are also going to take the centre of the world stage in the future, so the school also has to fit in with the positioning of the region where the city is located - A Socialist International Metropolis - and it cannot exclude the effective combination of international education elements. So, you have me and I have you, and all kinds of methods and means serve the goal of cultivating. In this respect, I think international education and domestic education are more alike than different.

KingLead: What is your philosophy of education and school running?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:In short, it's aboutPeople-Centered. I think education is about people, and we put the growth of students at the centre of all our work. Especially when you become a school principal, I think you have to use the professional development of teachers as a driving force to influence the growth of students. So, being a school principal, I have to put teachers first, help them solve their problems and make them grow professionally; I also have to encourage them, give them a platform and invest resources in them, so that they can serve their students better.

Since I became the General Principal of Xiehe Education, I have also insisted on People-Centered in terms of school leadership team. Xiehe has invested a lot of energy in developing managerial talent. If you want to insist on a student-centred approach, then as a school principal, you must be teacher-centred and support them; as a school senior leader, you must use the school leadership team as a grip to influence the school community and students. Otherwise, it is difficult to implement a student-centred approach. In a word, as your job changes, you should try to find different ways to implement the philosophy you have been upholding.

KingLead: As a school principal, how do you ensure that the philosophy of People-Centered is implemented among teachers and school leadership team?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:I think it is a vision. Firstly,the school principal should clearly articulate and express the vision and constantly emphases it in small and large assembly interactions. For example, what kind of school we want to run, and what kind of resource strategies we want to use to accomplish our educational goals, strategic objectives, developmental positioning, etc. Although we are a multi-lingual and multi-cultural institution with nearly 3,000 teachers who speak different languages and have different original experiences, slowly this vision is also transformed into culture.

The second level isthe transition from vision to culture. We pay particular attention to shaping the culture of the school. This culture ranges from the most superficial level of school layout to the way the school staff act. For example, how we meet, how we evaluate, and how we organize school events. In the end, this becomes a habit of acting.

The third level isto constantly build platforms and invest resources. Whether he's a teacher or a student, give him the stage and the spotlight, then give him applause when he goes in the right direction, and encourage him when he fails, so as to inspire his inner vision.

2

Three Decades of Exploration

and Accumulation，

Promoting to Achieve

the Core Valueof

“East Meets West”

KingLead: You have led Xiehe Education to break through the barrier between East and West step by step, and successfully found those international schools that blends the integration of East and West. What do you think is the most important aspect of successfully founding these schools?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:The most important aspect is the top-level design.From the point of view of the top management of the school, building a school that integrates East and West is a matter of various dimensions, but it also depends on the actual situation. In our early years in the industry, we worked as assistants to expatriate principals because we needed to gain experience through learning. Afterward, as we matured ourselves and as national policies were gradually adjusted, we entered a phase of collaborative management by Chinese and foreign experts.

Nowadays, at the compulsory education stage, the Chinese side is more in charge, and the foreign side assists in management. But in any case, if the school takes the integration of East and West as its core value, there must be such a set-up and arrangement in the top management, including how to hone the team. This is the core competency of the school, because the cooperation between Chinese and foreign principals cannot be simply written out in a Job Description, and if they do not trust and rely on each other, it is impossible to achieve true integration between East and West. One of the core competencies of Xiehe Education is that we have found the right way to work with Chinese and foreign principals through 20 to 30 years of polishing, adjusting, and arguing.

I have partnered with seven or eight different foreign principals in Xiehe, and we were not familiar to each other for the first six months when new schools were founded. In addition to our daily work, every Sunday we had to meet together in a café for informal communication for sharing ideas and thoughts. Through this informal communication, we could get to know each other's bottom line, temperament, and style. Therefore, in formal work, both sides could avoid some of the other side's tough bottom-line parts. Gradually, trust and tacit understanding can be built up in our daily work.

For example, in recent years, private education has been subject to many restrictions at the compulsory education stages. If there is no good trust and tacit understanding between Chinese and foreign principals, the foreign principals will feel that the demands of increasing the Chinese curriculum, adjusting teaching materials and preparing for inspections are constantly squeezing their room for survival. However, if there is a good tacit understanding between the Chinese and foreign principals, foreign principals will understand that everything we do is to make the school better and that the goal is still to move safely towards the vision of the school. Also, because we are local and know better how to do things that are more in line with the current policy environment, they will trust us and will provide us with support at the right time.

KingLead: What achievements of Xiehe Education are you proud of in building an international education that integrates East and West?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:The first is the recognition of parents.When Xiehe schools were just founded, probably including parents in Shanghai, we all had no idea about what an education that integrates Eastern and Western cultures was and what a well integrated education was. They thought that if it wasn't original, it was not good. In terms of academic performance, schools that they hadn't heard of were not good schools. However, Xiehe has been established for 30 years now and is quite popular among the public. What they love most about Xiehe is that we are neither an original imported product nor a competitive domestic “single-log bridge”. What Xiehe values are bringing children to the state where they should be at their age in the education process. It is an education for the future, an education that helps children to be well-prepared for the challenges they will face, and in that process, we need to make use of good educational resources from all over the world. It is proud to be recognized by parents because so many of them are willing to follow us with determination, both in the past with face-to-face interviews and now with the school lottery.

The second one is the attention from the mainstream.In 2022, the new Compulsory Education Curriculum Plan was introduced, and many of the wordings in the new standards are closely related to our years of practice, including interdisciplinary, big unit, and project-based learning, as well as encouraging practice and experience. On the one hand, they will send educational researchers and colleges to study and extract the good parts of our curriculum. On the other hand, due to the call for National New Curriculum Standards, high-quality educational resources from the government, regions, and schools will also be mobilized. In the past, we could only do interdisciplinary inquiry on our own. But now the government is starting to do it as well, and it can be counted into the PD credits of teachers, which I think is a big step forward. Now, many public schools or regional educational colleges also want to cooperate with Xiehe, hoping that we can share our interdisciplinary and inquiry activities that cultivate students' creativity. I think this is something that we do successfully and should be proud of.

The third point, also the most important one, is the development of our team.When we entered the industry, we were in our 20s almost 30s, and the old seniors who guided us were all in their 60s, having retired from their positions as bureau directors or principals of prestigious schools. Now, 20 or 30 years have passed, we are in our 50s, and the old seniors before us are in their 80s. We are at the helm of the front line, with decades of training and experience, our teaching team and management team which ranging from 45 to 25 years old, has never stopped growing. The whole team's development has been excellent.

Therefore, I believe that the recognition of parents, society, mainstream professional systems, and our excellent team of managers and teachers without age gaps are the achievements that we have made over the years in running a school that steadfastly integrates Eastern and Western education.

3

Combine Theory with Practice，

Building A Team of Talents

with Shared Values

KingLead: What specific measures have been taken by Xiehe to improve teachers' capability for teaching and research?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:I believe that measures should be taken based on the problems that teachers constantly face in the teaching process, both in theory and practice."Theoretical" measures should stimulate the inner desire of teachers as professionals with the background of the vision, culture, and the wider context. "Practical" measures should solve the actual problems encountered by teachers in their daily teaching.Therefore, I think we should combine theory with practice to guide them with vision while addressing their problems.

At present, we have a variety of approaches to professional development, mainly consisting of four focuses.

Firstly, we haveguidance by experts. We have many local and international expert resources. We are keen to invite authors of some professional books to share how their theories or books were born, and how they dealt with the process. We find that combining such lectures with teachers' own reading is particularly effective.

Secondly, we havesupport by peers, which is very effective in teaching and research activities. Teachers are not under too much psychological pressure from each other, so they can better learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses. Compared with the guidance by experts, the interaction between peers is stronger and mutual questioning and challenging are more likely to occur. The advantage of guidance by experts is that it provides high-level guidance but cannot provide more peer dialogue.

Therefore, we have broken down the boundaries between subjects and launched the Students of Concern activity among teachers of the same grade. Since teachers are facing the same group of students, they can share information to learn about the students' performance in other subjects. They can also discuss whether to provide more resources to the most outstanding or academically successful students in the grade or to coordinate between courses so that they can avoid some homework or courses and focus on their strengths or weaknesses.

In addition, we also often hold Cross-division Professional Development (PD) Sessions that involve teachers from primary, middle, and high schools to learn about student development. As we have an integrated and holistic kindergarten through Grade 12 education system, if we don't do this properly, the four school sectors will not be able to communicate with each other even if they are in the same school. Recently, we have done a lot of cross-curricular theme-based teaching. For example, the geography, science, and labor teachers in the school decide to analyze a topic like “What will the earth look like in a few years?” Teachers from different subjects will lead students to analyze different parts of the topic and finally present a 3D work.

Thirdly, we havecase studies. In practice, the biggest challenge for teachers in the classroom is the differentiation in students. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct case studies on topics such as differentiated teaching, timely feedback, and how information technology can effectively support teaching. Xiehe has a research-oriented culture, and we do many campus-based micro-research projects every year, guiding everyone to solve practical problems. I believe that as long as we are solving practical problems, it must be interdisciplinary. Because the essence of the problem is to help students apply what they have learned to solve real-world social problems, we start with case studies and continuously solve real problems.

Lastly, there isself-learning, which is the most effective way for adults. Listening to many lectures and attending many meetings are not as effective as quietly reading books at home, writing notes, and reflecting on work.

KingLead: In your opinion, what are the qualities that an outstanding leader must have? What do you pay attention to when promoting members of your management team?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:Probably more than 2/3 of the school senior leadership teams grew up internally, including foreign staff. At the same time, we ensure that about 1/4 of our candidates are recruited from outside because we also hope that the cycle between internal and external is smooth, otherwise, we will be stuck in a rut.

In the selection of external talents, I think "shared values" are particularly important.In 2005, I went to the UK with the founder of Xiehe Education to select foreign principals for the initial schools. We got to know their educational philosophy through the "resume screening - one-on-one interview - group discussion" format and assessed their ability to solve difficult issues. Finally, we selected the most suitable candidates. In addition, we also invited their families to dinner to observe their attitudes towards the candidates working in China. We will spend a long time considering all aspects of the candidates' qualities and ensuring that we have a shared value. And we still do this if we have external recruitment now.

In internal selection, in addition to hard skills, we pay more attention to soft skills, because the problems they will solve in the future are comprehensive. So firstly, internal candidates must be open-minded and inclusive; secondly, external communication skills are essential. It is very important to be able to adapt one's own discourse system in front of different people when dealing with the government and the market; thirdly, they must have continuous learning ability. Whether it is learning domestic policy documents or international curriculum documents, the ability to continue learning is necessary. In addition, personal charisma is also crucial.

To develop these abilities, Xiehe has done a lot of work and accumulated some experience. For example, we have organized the training courses of “Stars Project” for 12 sessions so far. The project curriculum modules include not only policy research, macro-education trend research, and teaching competence, but also school visits and project research, etc. Each training programme lasts for one year, and participants are required to attend the activities every weekend.

In addition, due to the advantage of the education group, all Chinese and foreign new principals are given immersive on-the-job training and pre-job training. Different themed principals’ meetings are also organized every month, which is our advantage over individual schools.

4

Walking Along with The World

Cultivating International

Talentsfor The Future

KingLead: What do you think the future-oriented education model should be like?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:I think it depends on the age of the students. At the kindergarten and primary school level, the most important thing that we should do is to cultivate students' interest in learning. Children should do what is appropriate for their age. Sitting in the classroom to learn the basics is essential, but don't let it become mechanical training. Beyond the basics, it is more important for students to discover their interests and to make them enjoy school. In kindergarten and primary school, no matter how education is reformed or changed, it is important to cultivate children’s interests in learning, to unleash their instincts, and to find their potentials, while keeping the basics solid.

At the middle and high school levels, because of the inevitably difficult selection process, I would like to see diversity and different choices in the education system. Today, our national situation only allows the unified examination system to exist, because it is the fairest approach at the moment. But the system relies heavily on objective standards, which is not fully in line with future development. So the pathway must be widened to make the application system a possibility as well, and if this is not possible domestically, then seek such access internationally.

In fact, international schools or bilingual schools are training people who are builders of their homeland and motherland, because nowadays 70 or 80 percent of children are willing to return to their home countries after graduating from university. If there are no international or bilingual schools, children will have to leave the country earlier or rely on the unified examination system, both of which are not conducive to future development. Therefore, it is important to do more to bring children back to their instincts at kindergarten and primary school levels and to be able to allow for multiple pathways to further education at junior and senior school levels.

For this reason, the demand for teachers' competence has also increased. In teaching process, teachers must gradually assist children in solving the real social problems around them, keeping their personal growth in mind and making solving real problems the grip of their work. We have to find a substantial and operational path to follow amid all the complexities.

KingLead: How do you think international education can better convey China's cultural confidence in the future? What initiatives will Xiehe Education have in the future?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:We are constantly internalizing the process. At the stage of copinism, perhaps because the lessons and cases at the time were more from the West, students would explore things like dinosaurs when they were exploring, because these resources of classes were common internationally. But we have got rid of that for a long time. For example, we explore bamboo not only because it contains various knowledge at the level of biology, science and economics, but also because it has the Chinese spirit of "Better eat without meat than live without bamboo" in it.

In addition, we also have activities ofModel CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) and Model NPC (the National People's Congress)in practice. This concept is extracted from Model United Nations. Because Model United Nations is still far away from students and is not as relevant to their lives as Model CPPCC and Model NPC, we carried out such activities. So, when asking students about democracy in China abroad, they can tell their understandings.

All in all, we are always committed to addressing the issues around children. There are so many wonderful things to explore in Chinese culture, and we will continue to explore and innovate these kinds of practices in the future. If our colleagues in other parts of the world have accumulated some good practices, we will apply them well, without rejecting or copying them.

KingLead: Has the current development of Xiehe Education reached its goal? What are the short-term development goals and long-term development goals of Xiehe Education？

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:Development is never-ending, and we cannot say that we have reached our goals now, but we have confidence in the chosen path, and we are proud of our achievements and experiences from our previous explorations.

However, at present, we have also encountered many new difficulties. For example, our independent private primary and secondary schools are constrained in their development scale. So we are thinking about how we can use the quality resources we have accumulated over the years to drive more development in the industry. At the same time, we also want to do something positive to seek better professional development for our talented team. In the future, there may be management-level export or sharing of teacher training resources. Xiehe hopes to disseminate the accumulated experience in different forms to better influence the industry and allow more schools to walk with us. For example, sharing our accumulated experience through teacher training communities and alliances, and refining and summarizing it. That is something we need to improve in the future.

In addition, Xiehe used to develop with an attitude of “went with the flow”, as there were many kindergarten and primary schools in Xiehe, and many students are willing to stay at Xiehe until middle and high school. However, the competitiveness of market is more miserable and many schools will grab students at the high school level.Faced with this situation, Xiehe will also take more precise and strong measures to make the high school stronger, so that children can truly receive a consistent K16 education in Xiehe.In the future, we will make more adjustments and enhancements in high schools.

KingLead: Please talk about some of your thoughts on fast-developed AI technology like ChatGPT. What impact do you think it will have on education or the direction of talent development?

Maxine Lu, General Principal of Xiehe Education:I am the only representative of the Cambridge International Education Advisory Board in East Asia. Recently. Cambridge International Education Advisory Board specifically organized such a discussion because Cambridge International is also a standardized examination body and they are also very concerned about this issue.

All over the world, whether in Europe, America, Africa, or Asia, the education community is highly concerned about its emergence and holds an attitude that is both welcoming and worrying. It is welcomed because it can both dramatically improve the effectiveness of work and significantly advance education. Because it can go from teaching children to answer the right answers to asking valuable questions. Artificial intelligence is going to be a big shock to our conservative education community, so we welcome it very warmly.

But in reality, there are a lot of concerns. For example, the academic integrity of children. People are very concerned about how we can guarantee that students' learning is authentic. Also, the advent of ChatGPT will make the process evaluation, which is now being actively promoted, become more impotent, which leads to an increased weighting of summative exams. Because students can use paper and pencil rather than computers in summative exams, we can test how much students have learned. Maybe all the work that students normally hand in is done by AI, and without taking the exam, they already get 70 or 80 points just by relying on process marks, which would turn the design of process evaluation on its head and could cause a regression in education.

In addition, there are also ethical concerns. For example, school principals and teachers can use ChatGPT to write speeches or prepare lessons, but then not allow students to use it. Students would feel that it is unfair and a double standard. So this discussion about ethics could go on for a long time.

The attitudes of international organizations are different too. For example, the IBO was the first organization to confirm that everyone was welcome to use it, and then the Italian government proposed a strict ban. However, although the controversy will continue for a while, the trend which towards technological change is unstoppable.

Recently, Xiehe has been doing a lot of work on this. We will invite Microsoft executives to our schools to talk about how ChatGPT is used in Windows and how it can help teachers. Xiehe has been an active discussant in using new technology, but we are a bit more conservative because we don't rush trends. We judge it by whether it is best for the training of students at the moment, so we don't strive to be pioneers, but we keep our eye on it.

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