10 Ten Years, Ten Innovations
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ten Years, Ten Innovations British Support to Basic Education 10 in Gansu Province, China Ten Years, Ten Innovations British Support to Basic Education in Gansu Province, China 10 Gansu Province, China Gansu Province is located in the north-west of China. With a population of over 26 million, the minority population accounts for more than two million. Of the province’s 54 different nationalities, Hui is the largest minority nationality. Gansu Basic Education project (GBEP) Support to Universal Basic Education Project in Gansu (SUBEP) www.dfid.gov.uk Acknowledgement www.camb-ed.com Writer: Zhao Jing Special thanks Editor: Corrie Mills Special thanks to the children, teachers and education officials in the Gansu © DFID 2010 Reviewers: Hu Wenbin, Andy Brock project counties, to the Project Management Office in Gansu Provincial Education Produced by Photographers: Jiang Shenglian, Hsu Ming, You Jia Department, and to GBEP and SUBEP’s many consultants and friends. Cambridge Education Design: David Blenkey, Lex Wilson, Kaci Din 10 I arrived in China in July 2003. The first project This book records the innovations made over I really knew about was the DFID-funded the last 10 years in Gansu education. With the Foreword Gansu Basic Education Project (GBEP). This was combined efforts of teachers, head teachers, because four children who had benefited from education officials, international and national the project came to Beijing to meet the then consultants, and DFID officials, the two projects UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and his wife at the have achieved a great deal. Targets were formal opening of the DFID office in China on reached and many valuable experiences and 21 July 2003. lessons were accumulated along the way. Over six years, the project was successful in The two projects made a very positive impact improving access for out-of-school children on education in Gansu and these achievements in Gansu’s four poorest counties, with net have been widely disseminated nationally enrolment increasing by 12% in just five years. and internationally, raising great interest in Not only that, but the project also helped to education circles. I have visited Gansu many improve the quality and relevance of education times over the last seven years in the company and encouraged the local communities to of UK dignitaries, including Princess Anne, to become more involved with the education of show them the progress that has been made their children. and people’s higher living standards as a result of improvements in primary education across Many important lessons were learnt through the province. this project, some of which are already being made use of elsewhere in China. As GBEP DFID is proud to have been associated with came to an end, DFID decided to continue these changes and innovations and is happy supporting education in Gansu by funding to have contributed to the achievement of the Support to Universal Basic Education universal basic education in Gansu. We hope Project (SUBEP) in cooperation with the Gansu that our friendship with the people of Gansu Provincial Education Department. The aim was will last for years to come. to expand the key lessons of GBEP to a further 31 counties in Gansu. Adrian Davis Director, DFID North and East Asia Main activities Dear Uncle Blair: • Sustainable and improved school building programme. Many thanks for the help of your country, • Creating an enriched learning environment for children. which has made me finish my school study • Improved education management through School Development Planning. • Implementation of the new National Curriculum through participatory and further will help me to realise my life approaches to teaching. ideal. I’m also grateful to your attention and • Experimental strategies to improve access, especially for girls. • Strengthened student retention through a focus on early years’ education. support for us rural children ... Because I • New approaches to children with special education needs. lost my parents when I was just a little girl, • Improved resources for teachers and children, through culturally relevant storybooks developed by local teachers. I never felt cared and cherished. I am very • Head teacher training for strengthened school management. proud because I have become the happiest • Stronger focus on standards and achievement through a new approach to inspection. child from the bitterest one. It’s you who • Introduction of evidence-based County Education Planning. gave me confidence and hope. It’s you who • Better data management through an improved Education Management gave me a bright future and life. I won’t Information System (EMIS). • A scoring system for prioritising school rebuilds and deciding the location betray your expectations. I’ll enrich myself of new schools. with plenty of knowledge and become a • Increased funds for equipment and training through county education GANSU BASIC EDUCATION budget reform. qualified primary school teacher in the • Research focused on practical issues and getting research into policy and future. PROJECT (GBEP) practice. 2003: Tony Blair meets Vice Governor of Gansu Best regards, 2004: Former UK Ambassador Sir Christopher Hum plays table tennis in a Dongxiang School Duration: December 1999 to June 2006 Project purpose: 2005: Princess Anne meets the GBEP team ‘Lucky girl’ Kang Lanlan Funding: £14,400,000 To achieve universal primary education by 2005 and universal basic education by 2010 in Gansu Province. To have more boys and girls entering Location: GBEP operated in four of Gansu’s and completing the primary and junior middle school cycles in Gansu, poorest counties in Linxia Hui Autonomous especially in the four target counties, and to reduce inequalities within the Letter from Gansu schoolgirl to former UK 2003 2004 2005 Prime Minister Tony Blair Prefecture: Kangle, Hezheng, Jishishan and education system. Dongxiang. Main activities I think one of the strengths • Revised the training materials developed by GBEP, including of the Gansu education project teacher and head teacher training materials, inspection guidance and teaching research training materials. is the way it was created for • Developed participatory training materials for Tibetan primary school teachers. the Gansu education context • Conducted large scale trainings for primary and secondary and suited local practice. Its teachers, head teachers, inspectors, teaching research staff and education administrators in the 31 new project counties. “ sustainability lies with the • Implemented School Development Planning tailored to the local context to improve school leadership and management. people. The project philosophy • Introduced new school inspection models in 31 counties and has been internalised in the set up a teaching support system prioritising rural village schools. minds of local managers and • Further developed and scaled up the GBEP Education Management Information System to provide more scientific educators, so it has been rooted data evidence for policy making. deeply in the land of Gansu. SUPPORT TO UNIVERSAL BASIC This is no longer a British EDUCATION PROJECT IN import; it has been made a GANSU (SUBEP) Gansu product. So it will last 2008: Director of DFID North and East Asia Adrian Davis visits Dongxiang school much longer, even now the 2009: Nigerian delegate talks with teacher in Minqin Duration: April 2006 to March 2010 Project purpose: 2010: New UK Ambassador Sebastian Wood visits Gansu school projects are finished. Funding: £6,250,000 To support the Government of Gansu to achieve its goals on basic education, by increasing government capacity to implement effective programmes that Location: SUBEP targeted 35 counties in Gansu, increase equitable access, school completion and achievement for the most Bai Jizhong, Head of Gansu Provincial Education including the four counties covered by GBEP. Department excluded boys and girls. 2008 2009 2010 ” Making it happen Before the project, the school Through GBEP, 177 schools were built or re-built in four counties in Linxia Prefecture. building was in a bad state and would let in the rain. I was All the schools built with DFID support have: “ worried the building might collapse. • concrete structures with quakeproof ring beams Many parents were not willing to • soundproofed, insulated roofing send their children to school due • larger windows and lower blackboards to these poor conditions. • display rails and space to hang teaching aids and students’ work • clean toilets 1 • facilities for disabled children A female teacher from Dongxiang County” The ‘Happy Campus Initiative’ was introduced in 672 schools. During the last 10 years DFID funding has helped to make enormous improvements in school conditions. Not only contributing to physical changes, but also helping schools to create a child- friendly learning environment. Ma Haimei, 13, Little River School, Hezheng County The project prioritised upgrades to, and construction of, teaching points (small rural schools that only provide teaching until 3rd or 4th Grade) and village Last term I moved to Xinjiang Province with my parents. I didn’t understand the local language 1 schools. there so I came back to my hometown. Here I understand the language and the teachers SCHOOL SWEET treat me very well. They like me and I like them. There wasn’t a ‘Happy Campus’ The ‘Happy Campus Initiative’ was introduced by programme in the school in Xinjiang. Here we have a ‘Happy Campus’ programme and GBEP to make schools more attractive, stimulating SCHOOL I have lots of friends. We can discuss our classwork together so I can check my and enjoyable places for children. This included the “ Ma Haimei provision of sports and play facilities and equipment, answers before submitting them to the teacher. I learn a lot from my classmates. landscaping school grounds and attention to quiet Ma Haimei was one of over 7,000 ethnic minority girls who received support to go to school through GBEP. and public spaces for all children. Now in 6th Grade she loves school and hopes to go to University. ” Making it happen • Over six million RMB of scholarship money has been provided to I was lonely and sad at schoolchildren, of whom 72% are minority girls.