Jinggu Minzu Middle School - Jinggu , China
This year , the Global Exchange Programme , “ Tea @ Pu Er ” saw students from both SJI and Jinggu Minzu Middle School have a chance to interact , collaborate and carry out a special cultural exchange programme . This was also an opportunity to better understand the diverse cultures that the different minority groups in Jinggu have . From 3 November 2020 , students from both schools used the online platform “ Zoom ” to share topics such as lifestyles , cultures and traditions , entertainment and education that are unique to Singapore and China . From this GEP , the students from both schools overcame the geographical barrier , forging genuine friendships while at the same time better understanding the cultures and traditions of each other ’ s home countries . Not only was this experience one that gave students great exposure to have a better global perspective , but it also was a meaningful platform for both students ’ countries to promote their cultures .
It was indeed an eye-opening experience getting to interact with people hundreds of kilometres away through a small computer screen . The culture , the language and the overall friendliness of the Jinggu students made the GEP evermore enjoyable . At first , students were apprehensive about conversing with these students as they was somewhat unconfident in their Chinese . However , little by little , with each GEP session , their proficiency in Chinese improved as they continued making small conversations with their newfound friends ,
To prepare for the GEP , each group was assigned to research on different aspects of Jinggu , Yunnan so that students could develop a greater understanding of the province . These included - an introduction to China , Yunnan ’ s geographical environment and scenic spots , Yunnan ’ s food culture , Yunnan ’ s ethnic minorities , Yunnan ’ s local products and Yunnan ’ s transportation system . These presentations were eye-opening , and they learnt interesting and unique facts about Jinggu , Yunnan , which helped immensely while interacting with the students from Jinggu Minzu Middle School .
( Screenshot : Singapore students sharing on their educational pathways )
During their final session with Jinggu Minzu Middle School , groups from both schools put up an exciting series of performances , ranging from singing to dancing to arts and craft and even a self-composed Chinese rap . The session was filled with lots of joy and laughter , and everyone participated with great enthusiasm .
During their weekly session with Jinggu Minzu Middle School , different groups from each school presented a particular cultural or educational aspect of their respective country . Subsequently , they were split up into their breakout rooms to continue the discussions .
84 St Joseph ’ s Institution