A British head teacher poses for a selfie with students in the Optics Valley of China. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

"Here, I see the vitality of Chinese education. I hope that my two daughters in the UK will also grow up as bright and radiant as these children," said Gary Watson, head teacher of Hollyfast Primary School in the United Kingdom, who recently visited the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC), Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province.

As a member of the British head teachers' delegation, Watson visited Wuhan to participate in the 2024 Sino-UK School Link event and visited six primary and secondary schools in the valley. He signed memoranda of friendship with these schools, as well as extended an invitation to students and teachers from the OVC to visit the UK.

The "Sino-UK School Link" program is an inter-school cooperation program that was implemented by the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in China. It aims to promote Sino-UK exchanges in basic education and is striving to cultivate future global citizens. Currently, many schools from both countries have successfully paired up and their principals, teachers, and students have exchanged visits.

A British principal participates in a game at a school in OVC. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

At OVC schools, British principals interacted face-to-face with students and watched performances such as choir singing shows, martial arts, cheerleading, textbook dramas, and piano and violin concertos. They also participated in basketball games and traditional Chinese painting activities.

In recent years, the valley has been promoting the internationalization of its education system. Many of its schools have established friendly relationships with schools in the UK, the United States, and New Zealand.