Bendigo Senior Secondary College maintains sister school relationships with Dongzhou Middle School (Haimen, China), Katharinen Gymnasium (Ingolstadt, Germany), and SMA Negeri 2 (Makassar, Indonesia). These partnerships are central to our commitment to fostering global connections and enhancing cultural understanding.
We have a strong relationship with our sister school in China, as most of our international students come from this country. Our international team regularly visits Chinese sister and friendship schools and engages with students’ parents. Additionally, we have established the Confucius Classroom program in collaboration with Dongzhou Middle School, located in Haimen, Jiangsu. This program has evolved into a significant learning hub for the local community, facilitating numerous cultural and language exchange programs between our two schools.
Our longstanding partnership with Katharinen Gymnasium has resulted in a highly successful exchange program. Ingolstadt students have the opportunity to spend six weeks in Bendigo, where they attend classes with their host students and improve their English skills. Our German language students from Bendigo have the opportunity to travel to Ingolstadt, where they stay with German families, attend classes at Katharinen Gymnasium, and enhance their German language proficiency.
Every alternate year, students and staff from SMA Negeri 2 Makassar visit Bendigo Senior Secondary College for a two-week stay. During this time, our students host Indonesian students, providing a wonderful opportunity to learn about Indonesian culture and language while sharing the Australian way of life.
Maintaining sister school relationships and facilitating international visits bring immense value and benefits to our school community. These programs foster mutual understanding and respect among different cultures, broadening students’ global perspectives. Students gain firsthand experience of diverse educational systems, enhance their language skills, and build lasting friendships across borders. Furthermore, these exchanges cultivate empathy, adaptability, and intercultural communication skills, which are essential in our increasingly interconnected world. By participating in international visits, students not only enrich their academic and personal lives but also become more globally-minded citizens, prepared to contribute positively to the international community.