Education programme offered for Yunnan minority

By Xin Ji (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-05-17 06:44

The Teacher Training Workshop constitutes part of Yunnan Minority Basic Education Project, a co-operative programme between the Yunnan Provincial Education Department and Save the Children UK.

Besides training teachers, the project supports the schools to run tea farms where the students' parents can work, and the farms' income can generate some funds to enable more school-aged children to attend school.

There are other projects such as nutrition schemes, inclusive education and community participation in education.

The project was launched in 2000, when the Department for International Development under the UK Government which manages Britain's aid to poor countries agreed to donate 1 million pounds (US$1.89 million) for the project.

The programme's objective is to improve the quality of, and access to basic education for children in poor, remote, ethnic minority areas in Yunnan, Kate Wedgwood, director of China and North Korea Programme of Save the Children UK, told China Daily.

Between 2000 and 2003, the project was implemented in three pilot counties, which include Pu'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Weishan Yi and Hui Autonomous County and Shuangjiang Lahu, Va, Blang and Dai Autonomous County.

The project has begun to be spread to other counties and prefectures since March 2004.

Teacher Training Workshop, as an important component of the programme, aims to "improve the quality of education in Yunnan Province by promoting the child-centred teaching methodologies among rural primary schools," Wedgwood said.

(China Daily 05/17/2006 page14)