“Growing talents for the country” is quite the statement, isn’t it? That is exactly what Shanghai Weiyu High School has been doing since 1943. The school was founded by the famous educator Mr. Li Chucai. Shanghai Weiyu High School stands as a modern boarding high school here in Shanghai.
But what makes this school so special?
Let’s take a journey back in time. The predecessor to Shanghai Weiyu High School was Weiyu Primary School. It was established in Shanghai in 1932. Following the January 28 Incident, some Shanghainese figures from industrial and educational sectors wanted to revitalize the nation through education. They established an experimental primary school. The name Weiyu was derived from “The Doctrine of the Mean”. It means “heaven and earth are in their proper positions and all things are nurtured”.
Fast forward to the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War. Many schools in Shanghai were affected. Some closed. Others declined in quality. Parents requested the school to expand into a secondary school. Mr. Li Chucai became the principal. Initially, the secondary school offered a five-year program without separating junior and senior levels. After the war, it transitioned to a six-year system with three years each for junior and senior high school.
After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, Shanghai Weiyu High School flourished. In 1953, a new campus was built on Fuxing Middle Road. The school moved there the following year. In 1956, private schools underwent socialist transformation. The school became public. It was renamed Shanghai No. 51 Middle School. Between 1956 and 1958, Huaihai Middle School’s high school division and Shanghai No. 68 Middle School merged into Weiyu High School. In 1960, the school was recognized as an advanced educational unit in Shanghai and nationwide. It became a key municipal high school. During the Cultural Revolution, the school’s educational order was disrupted. A school revolutionary committee replaced the leadership.
After the Cultural Revolution, the school restored its teaching order. It became a prominent high school in Shanghai. In 1978, it was designated a key district high school. In 1987, it reclaimed the name Weiyu High School. In June 1998, Jiang Zemin inscribed the school name. In August of the same year, the junior and senior high schools separated. The high school moved south to the Huajing area. It became a modern boarding senior high school in Shanghai. Since 1999, the school entered a phase of experimental and demonstrative high school development. In February 2005, it became one of Shanghai’s first group of experimental and demonstrative high schools.
Shanghai Weiyu High School’s new campus in Huajing covers 124,000 square meters. The total construction area is 52,000 square meters. It was completed in 1998. The campus is divided into functional areas. These include teaching, administration, living, sports and auditorium zones. The teaching area includes the Shuyuan Building and the Liyuan Building. The Boya Building houses a library, a hall for 600 people, computer labs and an observatory. The living area includes a dining hall and student dormitories. The sports facilities include a 400-meter track, a soccer field and a gymnasium.
Today, Shanghai Weiyu High School has about 2,000 students across three grades. The school boasts a strong faculty. Currently, there are 59 senior teachers, including 10 special-grade teachers.
Shanghai Weiyu High School also has an international department. It was established in 2002. The school became an International Baccalaureate Organization authorized school in May 2011. It launched the IB Diploma Programme becoming the first public city key middle school in Shanghai to recruit Chinese students to study IBDP courses.
Shanghai Weiyu High School has cultivated numerous outstanding talents. This includes academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Engineering. It also includes presidents of famous universities. The school’s motto is unity, rigor, pragmatism and progress.
As we conclude our visit to Shanghai Weiyu High School remember its rich history. Think of its commitment to nurturing future leaders. It is a place where students grow and create. Its impact extends far beyond these walls.