Wellington College China Launches its 5th Festival of Education

Wellington College China launched its annual Festival of Education at its Tianjin campus. The school brought together 28 thought leaders in progressive education and over 300 attendees to take part in a day of stimulating and informative talks, panel discussions and workshops. Wellington College China's Festival of Education is one of China's leading forums for educators, parents and general enthusiasts who seek insights on everything from career development to cutting-edge theories and new methodologies.

"This marks the fifth year that we have run the Festival here at Wellington College China and it is an important milestone," Festival Director Paul Rogers says. "Last year, we cancelled this annual event to protect the community and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. 2020 presented many challenges to the education industry across the globe, and being able to resume the Festival in 2021 was not only a powerful expression of optimism about the state of education, but it was also a chance to think seriously about its future. Additionally, it gave us an opportunity to present an online virtual component of our Festival, which is taking place from 18 - 23 April. This allows a huge audience from around the world to participate."

The theme of this year's Festival was 'Interpreting the Future of Education.' Speakers and attendees explored this theme through five key strands: Future Schools, Early Years Education, Bilingualism, Wellbeing and Mental Health.

The Festival commenced with a keynote address by Dianjun Wang, Principal of Tsinghua University High School, and a speech by Wellington College China Founder and Chair of Governors Joy Qiao remarked, "This is the century when East meets West. At Wellington China, we hope to educate future global leaders who are natural bridges between China and the rest of the world, fostering deeper understanding and collaboration. This is becoming all the more important, given the increasing challenges in international relations." 

The Wellbeing and Mental Health strands figured prominently in the day's events. For instance, Sophie Zhang, The Tianjin Juilliard School's Administrative Director of Pre-College led an insightful discussion on why art and music education are important in promoting wellbeing. Tianjin Experimental High School Principal Jingwu Yang explored how to build a comprehensive mental health model for secondary school students.

Yet the discussions were by no means limited to just academics and the arts. Christy Cao, Chair of Powerhouse Gym China talked with attendees about the benefits of physical education on mental health. Nor did presenters limit themselves to the wellbeing and mental health of our pupils. Bella Lin, a trainer in Parent Effectiveness, offered some invaluable advice on managing anxieties around being a parent.