Partner in China

The Eduard Spranger Vocational College (ESBK) currently prepares to reciprocate the recent visit of a group of pupils and teachers from the Huaxia Vocational Education Centre in Qingdao (China) with a visit to China in the coming spring.

The series of visits and return visits started already in September 2010, when a delegation from Gelsenkirchen was hosted by the Chinese partner school. This was reciprocated by a visit to Gelsenkirchen of four representatives from the Chinese school administration in May 2011.

During all these visits, the relationship between the two schools grew increasingly close and personal friendships were formed. Now eleven pupils and three teachers from Qingdao made the long journey to be welcomed by the families of pupils from the Gelsenkirchen Vocational College in the Ruhr area. The three Chinese teachers were accommodated in a flat that was placed at the college's disposal, where they were not left to themselves either, but supported by three teachers from the ESBK. In order to intensify the cultural exchange in spite of language barriers, the group was accompanied by an interpreter during their official programme.

The plans for February/March 2012 provide for eleven Gelsenkirchen pupils and the teachers Aslihan Deve, Jens Kriegel and Denny Balla to spend one week in Qingdao. Yet another return visit for intensifying the friendship is scheduled to take place subsequently.