Principal
Innovation is the primary driving force for development, and cultivating innovative talents is an important mission of China's education. How to train innovative talents that can adapt to the development and changes of the times is an important challenge facing China's current international education.
To further understand the talent training mode of international schools and deeply explore their characteristics, the "Hundred School Research Project of International Schools", jointly initiated by the Secondary School Division of the China Education International Exchange Association (under the Ministry of Education) and the King Lead Innovation Talent Research Group, together with experts and scholars from Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, Peking University, and Tsinghua University, and supported by the High School Education Big Data Laboratory of the Faculty of Education at Peking University, was officially launched in July 2020.
"Principal leadership" is a key focus of this research. As the helmsman of an international school, the principal needs to have not only a series of qualities beyond those of ordinary teachers but also strong leadership, brand awareness, innovation consciousness, and the ability to identify and attract high - quality teaching and education talents.
"Principal leadership" is the key to the success of a school. The research team of the Hundred School Research Project specially interviewed Principal Feng Xiaosheng of Majestic International College.
/Principal's Card/
Feng Xiaosheng
Principal of Majestic International College
Master of Business Administration from the University of Manchester, UK
Doctoral student in Education at the University of Hong Kong
Majestic International College was established in 2017 and is the first pure international curriculum high school in Foshan City. It adheres to the school motto of "Beautiful in Perfection ·伦 International Friendship" and the "4C" student - training philosophy of "Cheerful, Cooperative, Creative, and Challenging". It strives to train international talents who "have Chinese sentiment, international vision, can adapt to the future, can go out and come back, and can walk freely in the world", and aims to build a first - class international curriculum high school in the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area.
Majestic International College will adhere to the "coordinated development of academic achievements, comprehensive quality, and individual character" and the "student - centered" "whole - person education" concept. It believes that "every child is unique and has his or her own talent and strengths". Majestic International College offers two major international high school curriculum systems, the IGCSE & A - Level courses and the Canadian BC curriculum, as well as American AP courses.
The IGCSE and A - LEVEL courses have the authorization of the three most authoritative examination boards in the UK, including the Cambridge International Examinations, Edexcel, and the Oxford AQA. They are recognized by more than 11,000 universities and colleges in over 160 countries and regions around the world and are known as the "golden curriculum system" for entering world - class universities. In addition, Majestic International College provides BC courses for students in grades 10 - 12 of high school. The teaching standards, teaching methods, teaching assessment, and other aspects of the courses are consistent with those of British Columbia Province in Canada.
With its excellent results, Majestic International College has sent a large number of outstanding students to well - known universities at home and abroad, including the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the Ivy League's Cornell University in the US, Imperial College London, University College London, the London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK's G5, the University of Toronto, the University of Melbourne, the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Some wishes should not wait for a whole summer.
Students' Growth and Development Is the Core of Everything
As an international school established in 2017, Majestic International College has been in a rapidly changing new era. In addition to keeping pace with the times, Majestic International College also emphasizes maintaining the original intention of being "student - centered" and insists on carrying out teaching and educational activities around students' growth and development. Principal Feng said that this insistence of Majestic International College is not just a slogan on the wall but is implemented in every aspect of the school's teaching and educational work.
King Lead
What is the school's mission and vision, and how do you understand the school's mission and vision?
Principal Feng
For me, every time I have meetings with teachers, staff, and parents, and even when parents first come to the school for a visit, I will introduce our vision and mission to them, as this is very important. It is not a slogan on the wall but the starting and ending point of the school's overall work.
Our mission is to train international talents who have a passion for Chinese traditional culture and an international vision and can create the future. This mission is closely linked to our student - training goals.
Our vision is to take root in China, integrate with the world, and build a first - class international curriculum high school in the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area.
King Lead
What do you think is the most important thing for the future development of international schools?
Principal Feng:
At the beginning of this school year, I shared three keywords with everyone: quality, innovation, and details.
First, the teaching quality, environmental quality, and ideological quality of a school must meet the standards. This is the bottom line of education.
Second is innovation. For international schools, it is essential to break away from traditional educational thinking and keep pace with the trends of the times. Therefore, innovation is indispensable.
Third is attention to details. Things are accomplished step by step. For example, the student - centered办学 goal must be reflected in what has been done for students and in focusing on their all - around growth in details. Only by implementing it can we truly do education well instead of just slogans.
King Lead
In the current era of rapid development of digitalization and artificial intelligence, how can we better grasp the future development direction of international schools?
Principal Feng：
This is a great topic, but my answer only represents my personal views.
We now live in a digital and intelligent era with a rapidly changing environment. Everyone is constantly changing and developing. Therefore, international schools also need to seize development opportunities, keep pace with the times, and embrace new technologies and cultures. For example, in response to the rapid development of AI, schools should actively explore and learn about it and guide teachers and students to learn together.
The development of international schools cannot be separated from the larger environment. We need to both look down and walk and look up to the sky. We must pay timely attention to environmental changes and actively adapt to them, finding our foothold in the changing environment.
However, one thing remains eternal, and that is our original intention. Faced with numerous changes, it is most important to stick to our educational and mission. Majestic International College always insists that students' growth and development are the core and focus of all teaching and educational work and the starting and ending point of all our work.
King Lead
What experiences do you have to share regarding school brand building and development?
Principal Feng：
I believe that school brand building is one of the key focuses of school development and requires professional teams for brand creation. There was an old saying, "Good wine is not afraid of a deep alley," but in today's information - rich era, this does not hold true. Schools must promote their brands to make more people aware of them.
Brand building requires the expansion of modern brand - building channels and the design of a professional brand communication system and framework by a professional team. However, the focus of brand building lies in the school's own brand connotation. Otherwise, all brand - building efforts will be like castles in the air.
Therefore, schools need to clarify a series of questions, such as what the school's training objectives are, what the development goals are, how the faculty is built, how the curriculum is specialized, how the college - application services are, etc., so as to clarify the school's brand connotation and value.
A Team Full of Love and Professionalism Can Realize Majestic International College's Educational Undertakings
The team's strength is one of the key factors that determine the success of a school. This includes not only the teaching staff but also the overall management and administrative support teams. The team must be not only professional and well - coordinated in division of labor but also have strong cohesion and centripetal force, filled with passion and a spirit of dedication for the same goal. Majestic International College has just such a team.
King Lead
What is the point that you are currently most proud of regarding your school?
Principal Feng
I am most proud of our team. Our team not only has a solid professional background and knowledge but also, more importantly, is passionate about the education cause and willing to contribute. I think this is the most important quality for a teacher.
On the other hand, as educators, they also need to have love and patience. Only through internal motivation can they earnestly explore teaching methods and do a good job in teaching planning.
Therefore, Majestic International College has such a team of teachers and staff who are not only professional and dedicated but also loving and patient. They regard teaching and nurturing as their lifelong career, which is the proudest thing for me and Majestic International College.
King Lead
Please introduce the school's teaching and research team and its advantages.
Principal Feng
First, in terms of the teaching team, the overall student - teacher ratio of Majestic International College is 1:6. The ratio of Chinese and foreign teachers in the Canadian BC and British A - Level courses is about 1:1 on average. Among them, 70% of the teachers have a master's degree or above, 80% of the teachers have more than 8 years of teaching experience, and 80% of the staff have overseas study or work experience.
Our teaching team not only has structural advantages but also has a professional background, excellent skills, a global vision, and multicultural thinking. Moreover, they are responsible, loving, passionate about the education cause, and willing to contribute, which are also the prominent advantages of Majestic International College teachers.
Second, in terms of the management team, whether it is middle - or upper - level management in Majestic International College, there is collaborative operation and development between Chinese and foreigners. Some subject leaders are Chinese teachers, some division leaders are foreign teachers, some functional department heads are Chinese colleagues, and some are foreign colleagues. This fully integrates the essence of Chinese education and education from different countries. It helps students, teachers, and staff from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds to grow at Majestic International College and truly realizes international education.
In addition, in terms of the teaching and research team, academic excellence has always been an important pursuit of Majestic International College. There is some overlap between the teaching team and the teaching and research team of Majestic International College. For example, teaching and research team teachers also serve as front - line teachers, and outstanding teachers form the teaching and research team to conduct subject - development research. This ensures the continuous improvement and innovation of teaching and education at Majestic International College and better supports students' academic development.
King Lead
How should a school manage its teaching and research team?
Principal Feng:
I think the first key point is to build a cohesive teaching and research team, and the key factor is a common goal. The teaching and research team of Majestic International College always conducts teaching and research work around our vision and mission. It adheres to the core goal of "training international talents who have a passion for Chinese traditional culture, an international vision, and the ability to create the future" and continuously expands and innovates.
The second key point is training. In the teaching and research process, it is inevitable to encounter many problems, including methodological and policy - related issues. Therefore, to address and solve various problems, Majestic International College has established a systematic training mechanism.
First is knowledge training. Majestic International College offers Canadian BC and British A - Level courses, which often have high requirements for teachers' professional knowledge level and update speed. Therefore, we conduct extensive knowledge training based on the characteristics of different courses and teaching content. For example, we provide training on the IGCSE and A - Level high school curriculum systems to help course teachers smoothly pass the professional certification requirements of official institutions.
Another aspect is international training. As a Chinese international school, Majestic International College requires teachers to have a thorough understanding of international culture, the international education system, and international etiquette. Therefore, Majestic International College provides relevant vocational training for teachers. For instance, we conduct internal cultural training for foreign teachers by integrating traditional Chinese calligraphy and festival elements, and we also invite professional external lecturers to provide training in personnel management, student management, career development, and other aspects.
At the same time, as a Chinese international school, Majestic International College always emphasizes the correctness of politics and ideology and provides specialized training and guidance for teachers, inviting experts for communication and exchange.
Third is regular summarization and evaluation. Majestic International College regularly summarizes and evaluates the achievements of the teaching and research team, summarizes experiences and methods, identifies problems and shortcomings, and promotes the further development of teaching and research practices to better meet the needs of students and parents.
King Lead
What do you think is the core of principal leadership?
Principal Feng：
I think this question is a matter of personal opinion, and each school and principal has its own philosophy and style.
I believe the core is to lead the development of teachers and students. As a principal, it is best to do everything personally, but it is not realistic. Especially as the school grows in size, it is impossible to do everything by oneself. The most important thing is to lead the development of the team and ultimately achieve the development of students.
In my view, a principal must have his or her own educational ideals and philosophy. One must look to the stars and keep one's feet on the ground. One must have both a framework of educational philosophy and a framework of management philosophy to lead the team on the correct and sustainable path. And ultimately lead students to grow step by step and become best the version of themselves.
However, ideological leadership is extremely challenging. It requires a clear framework, methods, and a core team with a common understanding. Gradually, cultivate and develop the integration of school ideas and establish a clear reward and punishment mechanism. For example, the school's cultural system must clearly advocate for what it supports, opposes, and defines its culture, and convey this to team members, who in turn pass it on to students and parents. Only when everyone reaches a consensus can we move forward firmly on the basis of trust.
At the same time, as a principal, one must constantly learn, summarize experiences, keep pace with the times, and arm one's mind. The mindset of "being tolerant and open - minded" is crucial for the growth and development of all teachers and students.
King Lead
What do you think are the common problems faced by principals in the current field of international education? What kind of support should they receive?
Principal Feng：
First, I think the relationship between principals and investors is a very important issue. The relationship between investors and principals is very delicate and crucial. It is an important part of many school relationships. If not handled well, it may affect the entire school's development. This requires principals to make clear choices and balance between educational and business thinking and to maintain smooth and close communication with investors.
Second, principals also face the problem of ideals versus reality. I think many principals, including myself, have a common issue: the gap between ideals and reality. Principals have their own ideals and ambitions and things they want to do, but the reality may vary. Different stages, cities, curriculum schools, and school segments all have different issues, creating conflicts between ideals and reality.
When encountering these problems, I think one should actively change oneself. Principals need to recognize the volatility and曲折ness of things' development, adapt to different changes, constantly adjust their thoughts and viewpoints, and maintain a learning mindset. At the same time, they must firmly hold on to their ideals and gradually realize them through continuous evolution.
However, when the conflict between ideals and reality is too great, I think one cannot have both fish and bear paws. It is necessary to make a prompt change. One should not insist stubbornly and end up with a lose - lose situation.
The Cultivation of Innovative Talents Requires Both Internal and External Cultivation
The training of innovative talents for the new era is a national talent strategy and a necessary part of the era of rapid technological development. Majestic International College has also kept pace with the trend of innovative talent cultivation. Through internal development and external connections, it has expanded students' innovative thinking and is committed to discovering innovative talents in practice. This further reflects the idea proposed by Principal Feng that in the details of getting things done, we must adhere to the original intention of being "student - centered."
King Lead
What elements do you think innovative talents need to have?
Principal Feng
I think there are many elements that innovative talents need to have. I have simply summarized three points.
The first is curiosity, which is a prerequisite for innovation. If a person has no curiosity about things, he or she will certainly not be interested or passionate and will not be able to innovate.
The second is self - discipline. I think there is a very good saying: "Without rules, nothing can be accomplished." Many things are based on certain rules or laws for innovation. Self - discipline means following the rules and creating on the basis of them.
The third is passion, which is the driving force of innovation. Without the support of passion, our curiosity about a thing will soon disappear, and we will not be able to sustain our innovation.
These three points constitute the most important element of innovative talents - intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is self - generated goals based on curiosity about something, driving oneself with full passion to explore. This is the guarantee of innovation.
King Lead
How do you think schools should cultivate innovative talents?
Principal Feng : First of all, I believe that innovation can be cultivated through practice and is not the exclusive domain of "geniuses." As a school, we should provide full support to students.
First, we must have confidence in the cultivation of innovative talents. We must believe that through scientific methods and comprehensive guidance, we can train excellent innovative talents. Second, schools need to encourage students to believe in their own innovative abilities and that they can utilize them. Third, schools should provide as much support as possible.
Based on the cultivation of innovative talents, Majestic International College has made the following efforts:
1. Curriculum Design: Both the A - Level and Canadian BC courses at Majestic International College combine compulsory and elective courses. By significantly expanding the scope and professionalism of elective courses, students can explore their innovative abilities. These include science and technology, culture, sports, vocational development, life skills, leadership, and more.
2. Faculty Allocation: It is not enough to simply have Chinese and foreign teachers with solid professionalism. For some courses, it is necessary to invite professionals to teach or guide. For example, in finance and business courses, Majestic International College offers internship courses, inviting professionals from banks and insurance companies to teach directly. At the same time, the school creates opportunities for students to intern in enterprises. I think this is very important as it helps students stimulate their imagination and innovative awareness in practice.
For instance, there is a national - level laboratory near the school. When students are interested in a certain field, the school organizes visits to the laboratory and invites researchers to give lectures or courses at the school. This helps students expand the breadth and depth of their knowledge.
3. Teaching Methods: Traditional teaching methods are no longer sufficient for cultivating innovative talents. Teaching methods need to be enriched. For example, project - based teaching, inquiry - based teaching, situational teaching, tiered and categorized teaching, concept - driven teaching, etc. Different teaching methods are organized according to students' characteristics to truly achieve teaching according to students' aptitude.
4. Space Expansion: In terms of learning methods, students should not only learn in the classroom but also learn extensively in a "borderless learning community." Libraries, cafeterias, camps, and even enterprises and banks can become learning venues. It is important for students to recognize that learning is omnipresent.
5. Activity Expansion: Innovative talents are not only academic strong but should also have social qualities. Majestic International College provides students with a variety of extracurricular activities, such as Model United Nations and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. It also encourages students to start their own clubs, such as badminton, table tennis, cooking, robotics clubs, etc., allowing students to explore different fields through their interests. In addition, Majestic International College organizes rich summer and winter camp activities, inviting professionals to guide students in thinking and inspiring innovation through team projects.
King Lead
Does the school place importance on cultivating students' research abilities? What resources are available to support this?
Principal Feng:
Majestic International College places great emphasis on the cultivation of research and innovation abilities. We collaborate with many external research institutions to connect students with cutting - edge professional research resources, such as the aforementioned national - level laboratory.
Moreover, during winter and summer vacations, the school actively creates opportunities for students to engage in research internships. Through immersive learning, we aim to enhance their research and innovation abilities. For instance, this summer, students from Majestic International College participated in a specialized laboratory focusing on psychology and mental health, and the experience proved to be highly beneficial.
In addition to leveraging external resources, Majestic International College provides ample research facilities within the school. We have well - equipped science laboratories, including physics, chemistry, biology, and computer labs, with large capacities and round - the - clock availability for students. Our library also boasts a rich collection of resources, offering robust academic support for students.
Conclusion
There is a school that is "student - centered and fighter - focused," taking students' growth and development as the starting and ending point of all teaching and educational activities. It regards its teaching team, passionate about the education cause and diligent in their work, as its pride. It perfectly integrates academics with practice in the cultivation of research - oriented talents. Its name is Majestic International College.
