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6:21 AM, June 11, 2008
The Radish Inspector’s Notes at the Renai School in Qunxin Village (Quanxin Village), Hanwang Town, Mianzhu, Sichuan
Today is the third day of work, so I’d like to take a moment to summarize the past two days. Inspector Xiong Liang and his team arrived at Zhulin School in Qunxin Village on Sunday. The village was originally called Quanxin Village, but likely recently merged with Qunli Village, leading to the name Qunxin Village. With the support of the villagers, the Beijing Renai Foundation has opened up space within the bamboo forest and erected three tents. Two large tents can each accommodate 40 children, and another tent serves as a library and administrative office.
The source of children is still somewhat mobile, as all the surrounding children are students at Niubizi School (including the Daimao Junior High School). So, in addition to the children from this village, there are also children from Niubizi Village. However, since the distance to Niubizi Village is too far (a 40-minute walk, estimated to be 3–4 kilometers), only a small number of students from Niubizi Village come to attend school.
There are roughly 70 or 80 children in Qunxin Village. Therefore, Xiaoye, a volunteer who had previously visited, worked with the villagers of Niubizi Village to establish another tent school, which they named the Niubizi Village Temporary School. We plan to use this as a teacher training base for the Niubizi School. Those who pass the trial teaching in Qunxin Village will be able to teach in Niubizi Village.
We adhere to a joyful teaching approach in these tent schools, primarily aiming to provide children with a way to focus on their studies, relax, and maintain a structured learning and living rhythm during this difficult period, preventing the danger of wandering through the ruins. It seems that the children who are able to attend school have basically settled into this routine. The current schedule consists of three 40-minute concentrated classes in the morning, followed by afternoon reading in the library, chess, and ball games for entertainment. Classes focus on English, drawing, reading, singing lessons, and psychological counseling, tailored to the specific strengths of the teachers. While the full three-class period isn’t mandatory, ensuring that children feel fulfilled and enjoyable is a goal that our work group excels at and deeply pursues.
Regarding the student population, there are currently about 30 children in preschool through third grade, evenly distributed. There are nearly 40 children in fourth grade and above, and seven or eight in middle school. We’ve concentrated children in the smaller classes before third grade, and in the larger classes above fourth grade. The children in the smaller classes are well-organized, responsive, and highly authentic, as well as well-behaved and manageable. Starting today, we plan to separate the older grades into the middle school classes. Yesterday afternoon, Xiong Liang and the inspector worked as construction workers for half a day, clearing over 30 square meters of space in the bushes (occupying the current 20% area). Using leftover tent fences, they built a small tent. This will serve as a study room for the middle school students, sparing them from having to share space with their younger siblings.
Late yesterday evening, Sichuan Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. delivered a generator and a batch of wooden planks. The children are now blessed; they finally have desks. Well, there’s no electricity for now, so let’s leave it at that!
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We have desks!
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The happiest one is Xiong Liang, because he can finally teach the children to paint with brushes!
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This is the study room for junior high school students.
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Not bad, right?
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Supplementary report on June 11
Today seemed like a great day of accomplishment. Yesterday afternoon, we set up another small tent, and the ten middle school students finally had their own private space. They spent the entire day enjoying themselves, reading quietly and chatting quietly, apparently forgetting to rest. The younger students were still very active. Xiong Liang taught them simple animal drawing and how to draw portraits of Tang Sanzang and his disciples from Journey to the West. The children were delighted and very cooperative.
The first class for the senior class was taught by a volunteer teacher, Chen Xiangyu, from Anhui Province. She has been teaching English to the senior class since graduating from high school. Teacher Chen is very experienced and interacts flexibly with the children, who are very cooperative. In the second class, the inspector taught the younger students a song, “River of Life.” After three recitations, the children eagerly clamored to perform on stage. The younger students have a strong desire to perform. Yesterday, after reading “I Have Friendships to Rent,” we asked them to perform a fairy tale play. They were very enthusiastic and, with a little guidance, could act out half the book. Those with this ability can form groups of four or five to perform in rotation. But the class was too short, and they didn’t get enough of it.
Today, Xiong Liang taught the senior students ink painting. It was the first time for some of the children to hold a brush. Even so, the children were still very enthusiastic. After the class, they even held an art exhibition. Looking at this exhibition, it looked like some postmodern art.
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Teacher Chen Xiangyu is teaching
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