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Daria chats with students. |
In the wake of the city's rapid expansion, Wuxi is attracting an increasing number of foreign residents. However, which school their kids should go to remained a puzzle for most of the parents.
Briton Daria Duncan Weber raised the question during her first visit to Wuxi in 1998, so she gradually embarked on establishing Wuxi Taihu International School in 1999. She hoped that the school would enable parents to be devoted to their work.
Wuxi Taihu International School accepts applications for admission at any time. What's more, it provides education from kindergarten to high school.
Currently, there are 129 children from 23 countries and regions at the school. They are taught in English. The school offers German, French and Korean courses, as well as Chinese classes.
"Daria studied Chinese in the University of Edinburgh and Shandong University in the 1980s," Daria's assistant said, adding that this experience provided her with a profound understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture.
In addition to the cause of education, Daria is full of enthusiasm about programs for public good.
Since 1994, she has supported four Chinese elderly childless people.
After the tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004, she called for Wuxi's foreign companies and students' parents to donate; after the earthquake in Wenchuan in 2008, she organized teachers and students for contributions and was the first to make a blood donation.
"Public welfare programs should be included in education for all-round development, so I should take the lead," Daria said
In 2005, Daria was awarded a "Jiangsu Certificate of Friendship" by the provincial government, which is the top award for foreigners in Jiangsu.
Since 2009, the school has been hosting its annual Christmas bazaar for children in the remote mountainous areas.
Scenes of the Wuxi Taihu International School can be found in a publicity film shot by the Wuxi government to promote its investment advantages.
Daria was interviewed for a feature jointly filmed by the Wuxi government and the American satellite news television channel CNBC and broadcast in the US.
She told reporters that she hoped the school can provide international children with a good education and contribute to the sound investment environment in Wuxi.
