Entrusted by Qiaojia Education Bureau, HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE will take part in the “World Bank Loaned Yunnan Early Childhood Education Innovation Project” in Qiaojia County, with the aim of providing consulting services for the establishment and operation of five local rural community preschools, and exploring the implementation of a community-based sustainable early education model in decentralized rural areas. Proceeding with the Program of Early Education, this Project is designed to offer consulting services for the following activities: renovating and building preschools by utilizing unused school buildings, or other suitable places in the remote rural areas. The Parent Committee will be established in the preschool to get involved in the affairs management of preschool; young people with junior middle school diploma will be recruited locally (priority will be given to young people from local village) and provided with advanced preschool education training and guidance in systematic ways, so as to help them to become qualified preschool teachers. A teaching system of “mixed-age class” will be adopted to promote friendship and mutual assistance of children, where younger children benefit from having older peers as role models and tutors; in addition to the traditional school curriculum, children will learn nature, animals, nutrition, hygiene and how to express themselves through art and music.

On February 2, 2018, an interview was conducted in Dazhai Central Primary School

On January 16, 2018, Qiaojia Education Bureau and HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE met to discuss the preliminary issues of the Project. The attendees included Yang Hailong, the head of Education Unit, and Zhang Jingming, the officer of Infrastructure Office of Qiaojia Education Bureau; Luo Rujing, officer of Kunming Project Service Center, and BuZi Yi Ri, Project Leader, from HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE. It was defined in the meeting that: 1. With the assistance of Qiaojia Education Bureau, HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE shall carry out three rounds of project publicity, student pre-registration, teacher interviews and other preliminary works; 2. The five candidate schools that have been proposed by Qiaojia Education Bureau shall be finalized after field evaluation by HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE; 3. The Project enrolls children aged 3-6, and runs in the form of mixed-age classes. The number of students is controlled at 35/class.

From January 16 to 21, 2018, Research Team of HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE, under the introduction of Zhang Jingming of Qiaojia Education Bureau and through the coordination of various central schools, came to Xiaotian school site, Fatu school site, Shuitang school site, Maiping school site and Tiansheng school site, to give lectures to principals of primary schools, the heads of village committees, village leaders and parents representatives, in the aspect of policies, project concepts, project modes and management and operation of preschools, who put forward suggestions and opinions actively. Subsequently, Research Team conducted field visits to the school sites and collected relevant information.

From January 22 to 26, 2018, Research Team carried out propaganda on policy, project concept, preschool class mode, management and teaching and charging standards for parents of school-age students from five candidate sites, gave the answers to questions raised by student parents and organized pre-registration subsequently.

On February 27, 2018, a mobilization meeting for parents was held in Yeyatang

On January 26, 2018, Qiaojia Education Bureau and HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE met again for discussion. Deputy Director Ma, Yang Hailong (Head of Education Unit), Luo Rujing (Project Officer of HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE), and Bu Zi Yi Ri (Project Leader of HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE), attended this meeting. In the meantime, the parties discussed the information collected by the Research Team during the field investigation.

Due to the small number of pre-registration at candidate Tiansheng school site, it was replaced by Yeyatang school site in Baihetan Town. On January 26, 2018, Research Team went to Yeyatang Primary School to explain and publicize specific issues to the leaders of Central School, management team of Primary School, the village committee cadres and village leaders, such as policies, project concepts, preschool modes and management, and received unanimous approval of all parties. In the next day, Research Team convened parents and held a mobilization meeting for parents in the local area, and the number of pre-registered students was 26.

Research Team conducted a lecture at Yeyatang school site 

From January 29 to February 23, Research Team carried out teacher recruitment for 5 school sites in Xiaotian, Fatu, Shuitang, Maiping and Yeyatang. The basic process of teacher recruitment is shown as follows: Step 1: Each central school shall publicize the recruitment and then the village committee will recommend 4-6 candidates; Step 2: The applicant submits relevant information (job application, resume, photocopy of ID card, credential copy of the highest academic degree obtained) to the central school, and then the central school will review the information; Step 3: The candidates will be interviewed by HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE, the heads of central schools, the heads of the village school sites, and Qiaojia Education Bureau, to determine the personnel hired. 10 teachers have been recruited for the above five school sites through the efforts of all parties.

On February 7, 2017, the candidates for Yeyatang Preschool were interviewed at Kunming Office of HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE.

As of February 23, 2018, Xiaotian, Fatu, Shuitang, Maiping and Yeyatang have been confirmed as five preschool sites, and 146 students have been enrolled and 10 teachers have been recruited with unremitting efforts of all parties.

About the Project

This case is sourced from HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE Qiaojia County Rural Community Preschool of Future Project, for which Qiaojia Education Bureau entrusted The Federation for Associations connected to the International HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE Movement (Switzerland) Yunnan Representative Office to provide consulting services for the Project. The purpose of Community Preschool of Future Project is to help poor children get rid of poverty; establish preschools in village communities in outlying poverty-stricken areas, close scattered rural teaching points and some classrooms transformed from various types of rooms, recruit and train preschool teachers locally, and set up parent committee. In addition to traditional teaching subjects, children can also learn about nature, animals, nutrition, hygiene and how to express themselves through art and music. These children are usually 3 to 6 years old and can be well prepared for entering primary school after they received preschool education.

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of World Bank and Qiaojia Education Bureau.