As the Chinese saying goes, “You can learn more by travelling a thousand miles than by reading a thousand books.”
In order to promote cross cultural understanding and universal brotherhood SVIS has been successfully undertaking several Students Exchange Programmes with Japan, Korea and France. It provides an early opportunity for students to broaden their horizons.
For the participating teachers as well, it is a good platform to exchange views with fellow educators, share experiences and foster partnership.
In continuation to that our school organised its first ever exchange with Germany. It all started in the first week of October 2018, with a visit of 7 German students and two teachers from Pius Gymnasium Aachen, to enjoy the hospitality of Indian host families. The contingent was enthralled by the effervescent life of Delhi and the hospitality of their Indian host families.
On 08 January 2019 our 9 students along with their two teachers arrived at Frankfurt airport to reach their final destination Aachen, a beautifull city surrounded by hills. They were generously welcomed by their counterparts in Aachen.
The German students and teachers prepared famous Kartoffelsalat as a welcome treat and it was relished by everyone together.
Next two days the students and the teachers got the opportunity to observe different classes at Pius. They were taken for a guided tour through the city, which included the famous Aachen cathedral built by Charlemagne, Elisenbrunnen, Town hall, RWTH Aachen University- where one can study for free and offcourse the local market.
On 11 January they went to “The Haus der Geschichte” a museum in Bonn which presents thought-provoking German history from 1945 until the present.
Weekend was spent with the host families which was filled with a lot of fun activities like bowling, football match, a visit to Lindt chocolate factory etc.
On 12th January the students explored the beautiful city Maastricht in Netherlands. It is famous for its lively squares, narrow streets, and historical buildings. To add some additional dimension to their visit, they discovered the deepest secrets of the Undergrounds of Maastricht. And not to miss the famous thick and crispy fries.
The last day was spent in Cologne to witness the magnificent Cologne Cathedral, which hovers above the roofs and chimneys of the city and serves as the most visible landmark. The tasty tour to the chocolate museum in Cologne was enjoyed by everyone, where the chocolate fountain was the centre of attraction.
This trip to Germany has given them an invaluable learning experience, which will be treasured by all of them.
While it was not easy for our students to say goodbye to their host families and the new friends they made, we know their friendships will continue, bringing India and Germany closer.
