Zhuhai Daily -GLV　helps　needy　Guizhou　schools

时间：2009-10-19 00:00:00  来源：《珠海特区报》Zhuhai Daily  作者：BettyLin

Zhuhai Daily-GLV　helps　needy　Guizhou　schools
ByBettyLin《珠海特区报》
2009.10.19

FIVE　Zhuhai　Gateway　Language　Village　(GLV)　teachers　and　staff　including　Kelly　Morine,　English　Programme　Teacher　Training　&　Development　administrator　from　Canada,　went　to　the　Pingzhai　and　Shazi　primary　schools　in　Suojia　Townlet,　Guizhou　Province,　from　September　21　to　24,　to　donate　a　large　number　of　books　for　a　library　in　each　school　and　provide　training　sessions　for　all　English　teachers　in　a　middle　school.　　　　

The　severe　scarcity　of　text-books　and　extracurricular　reading　materials,　teachers　of　English,　teaching　aids,　sporting　goods,　caring,　nutrition,　water　and　road　facilities　upset　the　donors.　　　　

A　lot　of　primary　students　have　no　textbooks　let　alone　any　extracurricular　readings.　They　know　nothing　about　the　5,000-year　Chinese　civilization,　and　they　don't　even　know　who　Zhou　Enlai　was,　the　first　premier　of　the　People's　Republic　of　China.　　　　

There　are　no　more　than　four　teachers　including　the　principal　in　a　300-student　school.　Four　additional　volunteers　from　various　parts　of　the　country　share　all　the　classes.　The　only　middle　school　in　the　townlet　has　more　than　1,000　students　but　merely　eight　English　teachers,　two　of　whom　majored　in　English　in　college.　The　average　score　in　English　is　below　30　percent.

In　response,　GLV　has　promised　to　provide　any　necessary　help　for　English　teaching　and　learning　at　the　school　and　has　given　English　training　for　all　the　volunteers　free　of　charge.

Teaching　aids　and　sporting　goods　are　in　urgent　need,　according　to　Eileen Peng, a 29-year-old initiater of the　volunteer　project. 

Children　meanwhile　are　left　without　care.　Almost　all　adults　have　migrated　to　work　in　Zhejiang　Province.　Therefore,　some　two-thirds　of　the　students　are　unattended.　Some　of　them　meet　with　their　parents　only　once　a　year,　some　have　forgotten　what　their　parents　look　like,　and　some　have　been　parted　from　their　par-ents　since　birth.　When　Executive　Principal　James　Yi　asked　a　first-grader　what　his　dream　was,　he　replied,　"My　dream　is　to　be　with　my　mum　and　dad."

One　cannot　imagine　that　some　children　have　only　one　meal　a　day　without　breakfast　or　lunch.　They're　normally　undernourished　so　that　some　13-year-olds　look　like　8-　or　9-year-old　kids　in　urban　areas.　

Lack　of　water　is　a　key　to　poverty.　A　black　bucket　sits　in　a　corner　of　the　playground　of　Pingzhai　Primary　School　in　Suojia　Townlet,　which　holds　water　carried　from　the　mountain　by　teachers　to　meet　the　needs　of　all　the　teachers　and　students　in　the　school.　　　　

A　13-year-old　and　her　11-year-old　brother,　whose　parents　are　migrant　workers　in　a　city　far　way,　take　care　of　themselves.　Too　young　to　carry　water　from　the　mountain,　they　use　rainwater　from　the　roof　and　boil　it　to　kill　the　worms.　 Pingzhai　and　Shazi　primary　schools,　which　have　the　best　conditions,　are　open　to　motorized　traffic,　whereas　it　takes　at　least　one　or　two　hours　to　walk　by　the　nearest　mountainous　road　to　other　primary　schools　that　are　dispersed　in　remote　areas.　　　　

Ten　kids　in　Pingzhai　Primary　School　use　a　dangerous　bridge　every　day.　The　bridge　is　supported　built　by　tightwires　and　uses　irregular　planks　and　no　guardrails,　and　the　original　four-line　steel　ropes　have　only　two　lines　to　sup-port　the　floating　bridge　over　the　torrential　river.　Breaking　of　any　of　the　steel　ropes　is　very　likely　to　throw　the　passersby　into　the　river.　Moreover,　it's　very　slippery　in　the　rain.　Literally　the　ten　children　are　at　life threatening　stake　every day.

Apart　from　teaching,　spending　time　with　the　students　and　paving　a　road　leading　to　the　inner　town-let,　Eileen　and　her　volunteers　are　seeking　more　investors　to　build　factories　in　the　area　so　that　the　mi-grant　workers　can　come　back　to　their　hometown,　children　can　live　with　their　parents,　local　people　can　earn　higher　pay,　and　promising　students　can　afford　schooling.　They　also　hope　that　more　volunteers　join　them　to　make　a　difference　in　local　education.

编辑：李兵Lewis Lee