A school in China's southernmost city of Sansha is bringing conservation education to life by introducing a tailored new curriculum and turning the outdoors into immersive classrooms, helping students better understand the South China Sea and the importance of protecting it.
Located on Yongxing Island in the South China Sea, the school has rolled out specialized courses such as marine conservation to help students explore the rich history and nature of the region's islands and reefs.
To offer a more hands-on learning experience, classes are now being held at outdoor locations along the coastline, such as at scientific research bases and even at one of Sansha's main meteorological stations.
"In 2024, we further upgraded our marine culture course, transforming it into a curriculum focused on the history and culture of the South China Sea. This course introduces the children to Sansha's rich cultural and natural resources. We also invited elderly residents from the Sansha islands to come and share their stories with the students," said Guo Xing, principal of the school.
The school also offers extracurricular activities like waste sorting and fire and traffic safety classes, aiming to instill good habits into students and raise their awareness about everyday safety.
"We aim to transform the children from being learners into promoters. We hope they can pass on the knowledge to their parents, grandparents, and elders," Guo said.
At present, the school, the only one on the island, offers kindergarten and grades one through three.
South China Sea island school brings conservation education to life with outdoor classes
South China Sea island school brings conservation education to life with outdoor classes
Serbian officials and scholars expect that President Aleksandar Vucic's visit to China will further cement the ironclad friendship between the two countries and open up new avenues for cooperation.
At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Serbian President Vucic arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a state visit to China from May 24 to 28. During the visit, the two heads of state will exchange views on bilateral relations, as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest.
As the first European country that has agreed to jointly build a community with a shared future for the new era with China, Serbia is an important partner for China in Southeast Europe. According to high-level Serbian officials, the partnership could expand even further.
"I think that the most important one, apart [from] the infrastructure, will be scientific cooperation and widening the existing cooperation in each field, from infrastructure to culture. Our anchored friendship could become a role model for everyone else," said Marina Ragus, deputy speaker of Serbia's National Assembly.
Bojan Lalic, director of the Belt and Road Institute in Belgrade, anticipates that actions following the two presidents' discussions can bring stability to Serbia's economic and industrial development.
"We expect President Vucic and President Xi to have fruitful discussions, but also some following steps that will bring stability to our economy, to our industry. I truly believe that when speaking about the future, we are speaking about young people, (which) means education, research, science -- those are fields that I believe are fundamental for our exchange, for our future cooperation, and for our win-win achievements and success," said Lalic.
Ljubodrag Savic, a professor at the Faculty of Economy of the University of Belgrade, highlighted the importance of growing trade between the two countries. Since the signing of a bilateral free trade agreement in 2023, exports from Serbia to China nearly doubled, from 1.2 billion U.S dollars the year the agreement was signed to 2 billion U.S. dollars in 2025.
"China treats all countries equally, regardless of their size or so-called importance, maintaining friendly relations with countries around the world. The free trade agreement signed between Serbia and China grants Serbia preferential treatment. Most Serbian products can be exported to China almost duty-free. China is a truly valuable friend to Serbia," said the professor.
Serbian experts predict fruitful outcomes from Vucic's visit to China
