Photo source: Huize County project leader Liu Chunyu

On July 28, 2023, the HPP Huize County Preschools of the Future project held a project closing exchange meeting in Huize County Wuxing Township Central School.

Among others, Xiong Guanfa, Chief of the Education Section of the Education and Sports Bureau of Huize County, Feng Wenxi, Deputy Head of Wuxing Township People's Government, Zhang Jianeng, Principal of Wuxing Township Central School, Chen Chao, Principal of the Central School of Zhehai Town, Zhang Rui, Deputy Secretary of the Central School of Siche Township, Meng Zunyun, Education Director of the Central School of Kuangshan Town, a total of 25 people participated in the project closing meeting, including Li Jiancai from the HPP Project Service Center, Liu Chunyu, the project manager, and various primary school leaders and preschool teachers from the school where the preschool class was located.

At the meeting, everyone their opinions and views about the implementation of the project during the last 4 years.

Project manager Liu Chunyu introduced that since the support of the project, a stable and mature team of rural preschool teachers has been cultivated, the daily teaching activities and management and operation of rural preschools have become increasingly professional and standardized, and the classroom facilities and play teaching aids of early childhood classes have become increasingly rich, and teachers can now use a variety of play teaching aids and take children as the center to gradually realize learning through play in rural early childhood education. In addition, the implementation of the project has strengthened community cohesion and mobilized the enthusiasm of parents to participate in early childhood education.

The local implementation of the project has achieved certain results, which are inseparable from the support and guidance of relevant departments, for which Liu Chunyu would like to extend her heartfelt thanks to all present.

At the same time, the participants gave positive affirmation to the project in turn. Xiong Guanfa said that the project has achieved good results and promoted the overall development of rural early childhood education in Huize County.

Feng Wenxi said that all aspects of the project's support for preschool classes have been greatly improved and promoted, benefiting children, parents and teachers, especially the ability of teachers has been greatly improved, bringing high-quality preschool education services to 3-6 year-old children in the village.

Zhang Jianeng stated that the project promoted the construction and development of preschool classes in an all-round way by focusing on specific project activities, including strong financial support, wide coverage, fine content and precise help. He thanked for the care and support of HPP for rural early childhood education, and hoped that the project can cover more rural early childhood classes.

In addition, teachers' representatives also shared their own changes in connection with the implementation of the project. Since the implementation of the project, rural preschool teachers have participated in professional and systematic training, mastered the use of low-cost materials to make self-made play aids, and gradually realized the development of rural preschool education toward the direction of "gamification", and the management of preschool has become more professional and standardized. In the future, they will continue to strive to be an excellent preschool teacher and contribute to preschool education.

The representative of the children's parents said that the three children in the family are enrolled in the preschool class, the preschool's rich and diverse play teaching aids let the children have fun, and the professional teachers help the children get good teaching services. The preschool class regularly holds parent-child activities to strengthen the parent-child relationship between parents and children. Every year, project staff and teachers will visit children's homes regularly to bring full love and care to children and their families.

Participants reviewed and summarized the project together. Li Jiancai said that, as everyone said, the Preschools of the Future project model had become more and more mature after years of exploration and development, while HPP is constantly exploring and innovating, aiming to cooperate with local education departments to jointly create low-cost, high-quality rural children's demonstration classes. Although the project has ended, in the future, it is expected that the education department, teachers and parents will continue to work together to promote the better development of rural early childhood education.

At the end of the exchange, the project awarded an honorary certificate to selected teachers, encouraging them to make continuous efforts and continue to fight for the cause of rural early childhood education.

Children are the future. They are also our hope. Rural early childhood education has a long way to go.

In the future, we sincerely hope that all rural preschool classes will continue to develop on the road of specialization and standardization, inject more development power into rural preschool education, and actively participate in the construction of rural revitalization through education revitalization.

Project introduction:

"One village, one preschool" and "class transformation" is a pilot policy of the Education Department of Yunnan Province in the field of preschool education, hoping to change the existing preschool into an independent kindergarten, and open preschool in large administrative villages, so as to gradually realize the pre-school education layout of "one county - demonstration, one township, one public office, one village, one preschool". Huize County is one of the pilot counties. With the support of the Tian Ka Ping Foundation, the HPP cooperated with the Education and Sports Bureau of Huize County to assist it in recruiting and interviewing teachers, organizing teachers to train and supervise them in preschool education knowledge, curriculum management and teaching under the policies of "one village, one preschool" and "class transformation". Change teachers' "primary school" teaching methods. In addition, teacher training rooms, management kits, teaching videos and other related tool materials are provided. Supervise and visit preschool education centers on the spot, and provide hardware and financial support for preschool classes. We will improve the quality of teaching and education so that more children aged 3-6 can receive quality preschool education services.

This project is supported by Tin Ka Ping Foundation

The views expressed here are those of the author and have nothing to do with the position of the funder