LINE

Text:AAAPrint
Feature

China's rural areas call for more talents, educational resources

1
2018-09-11 10:31:42CGTN Editor : Mo Hong'e ECNS App Download
Li Guangyou teaches the Chinese language to the second graders. As there is only one classroom, he has to split each class into two parts. (CGTN Photo)

Li Guangyou teaches the Chinese language to the second graders. As there is only one classroom, he has to split each class into two parts. (CGTN Photo)

With all of his students crammed in one shabby classroom, Li Guangyou has to split each class into two parts every day - teaching math to first-graders during the first half, and then teaching the Chinese language to second-graders later.

As the only teacher at the Huanglian Elementary School located in a remote village in Zhaotong in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, the 53-year-old has to take all subjects.

“Of course it’s tiring. But I still feel happy staying with these children, especially when they make progress or perform well in exams at the end of each semester,” Li told CGTN.

Li started teaching here as a substitute teacher in the early 1990s. He later left to seek employment across the country. Years ago, he returned and picked up from where he left off, as none of the regular teachers dispatched here during the period were able to endure the hardships here.

“When I came back, I realized that our development has largely lagged behind the outside world due to the backward education standards and outdated concepts. I didn’t want to see our children drop out,” he said.

In recent years, China has seen a significant drop in the number of rural schools as many are now merging with schools in larger towns – a nationwide campaign in order to “optimize educational resources.”

The drive, however, has brought hardship to many pupils living in mountainous or remote areas, who need to trek for hours to even reach their classroom.

“It will be a big trouble for these children [to study in town], as there are wild bears and boars around here. Landslides also often occur during the rainy season,” Li said.

Due to the efforts of the parents, Huanglian school partly survived, and Li spent all his savings - more than 50,000 yuan (7,289 US dollars) - building a new schoolhouse last year to replace the former makeshift classroom.

The village is inhabited by the ethnic Miao people, and so Li teaches in both Mandarin Chinese and the Miao language so that youngsters will better adapt to new environments when they transfer to schools in town. And his bilingual teaching makes him even more irreplaceable.

“I also hope that our Miao culture can be passed down in this way. Ethnic culture can’t be discarded,” said Li.

It’s undeniable that China’s education system has made much progress over the past few decades, but many elementary schools in vast rural areas are still faced with big challenges, like insufficient educational resources and a lack of qualified teachers. This teacher issue has drawn the attention of authorities.

In late August, the Ministry of Education announced a plan to expand the teaching staff in resource-scarce areas, including attracting more college graduates to village schools and employing retired experienced teachers to teach or provide training to schools in poverty-stricken areas. It also pledged to improve salaries for teachers working in these areas.

Local educational authorities cannot be reached for comment on what measures they would take to help the Huanglian Elementary School address their difficulties.

Li says he just hopes the local educational department can build a toilet for them and a house where the kids can get warm by the fire. But the most urgent thing at the moment is for a young teacher who would like to work here.

  

Related news

MorePhoto

Most popular in 24h

MoreTop news

MoreVideo

News
Politics
Business
Society
Culture
Military
Sci-tech
Entertainment
Sports
Odd
Features
Biz
Economy
Travel
Travel News
Travel Types
Events
Food
Hotel
Bar & Club
Architecture
Gallery
Photo
CNS Photo
Video
Video
Learning Chinese
Learn About China
Social Chinese
Business Chinese
Buzz Words
Bilingual
Resources
ECNS Wire
Special Coverage
Infographics
Voices
LINE
Back to top Links | About Us | Jobs | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Copyright ©1999-2018 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.