General Questions

• What kind of support does RCEF get from the government?
  
• Are you bringing “Western” education to rural China?
• Are the initiatives that RCEF is enacting in rural China applicable in the urban areas as well? 
• Are China’s rural areas different enough that approaches developed in one area would need to be significantly retooled for use in another rural area?
  
• Testing is a major part of the Chinese education system, what challenges does that pose for educators trying to bring innovation to their classrooms? What challenges does it pose for RCEF?
• Why did you cancel the Summer Volunteer Program for 2009?

What kind of support does RCEF get from the government?

For years now, the Chinese Ministry of Education has been promoting a more student-centered curriculum. However, their well-conceived standards have yet to genuinely trickle down into most rural classrooms. Rural teachers need year-round coaching and practical methods that are proven in the rural context in order to make a genuine, lasting change. The local education bureau is positive about RCEF working here and hopes that once we have developed effective methods, we will work with a wider range of schools. .

Are you bringing “Western” education to rural China?

We are often misunderstood as promoting Western-style” education in China. In fact, many of our staff and volunteers are mainland Chinese and RCEF follows the curriculum standards of China’s own Ministry of Education. That said, we do see similarities in the education reform needs of China and western countries, such as America. For example, both America and China struggle to balance solid academic performance with the development of well-rounded skills for the real world.

Are the initiatives the Rural China Education Foundation is enacting in rural China applicable in the urban areas as well? 

Some of our student-centered teaching principles are universally applicable. However, one of RCEF’s core beliefs is specific to the rural context: rural education should contribute to rural development. Unfortunately, rural education currently facilitates a brain drain to urban areas. Students are implicitly taught that urban culture and lifestyles are more desirable, and that the goal of their education is to make a good life for themselves in the city. The students who are left behind in the village have not learned knowledge and skills needed to improve their communities. They often have low self-confidence and a low sense of efficacy, having been “failures” in school.

In response to this, RCEF promotes education that encourages students to learn more about their communities and provides opportunities for them to make a concrete difference. This does not mean that we encourage rural students to stay in the rural areas or confine themselves to their local communities. Rather, we hope that no matter what their future path, students will use their resources and networks to support rural development on whatever scale they can. 

Are China’s rural areas different enough that approaches developed in one area would need to be significantly retooled for use in another rural area? 

Step-by-step teaching methods should not be blindly copied from one school to another or even from one teacher to another. They always have to be adapted to the needs of the students. Instead of giving out recipes for good teaching, we want to share the process of how our best practices come about. Our experiences will not only serve as proof that student-centered teaching can succeed in the rural context, but offer guidance and inspiration to other teachers to start on a path of experimentation and innovation.

An important thing to remember is that even when one teacher or principal wants to reform, a lot of social and political factors have to be in place for success. These include support of colleagues, parents, and the community. Sustainable reform is not easy and it doesn’t depend just on the teacher or principal’s individual will. Every school’s journey will be different and the factors of success varied. RCEF hopes to leverage our hands-on experience at Guan Ai to offer concrete support and lessons learned to more rural teachers and principals in the future.

Testing is a major part of the Chinese education system, what challenges does that pose for educators trying to bring innovation to their classrooms? What challenges does it pose for RCEF?

Grades matter and measurably improved academic scores for all (not just the naturally gifted students) are an essential part of RCEF’s work. Better teaching methods should translate into better grasp of knowledge and how to apply it both on test questions and in the real world. Thus, innovative student-centered teaching and good test performance don’t need to conflict. Proving that is key to gaining widespread trust from parents, other schools, and society.

A major problem now is that most teachers spend too much time drilling test problems and many students still meet with poor results. Thus, we are trying to help teachers develop more effective ways for test preparation that help students do better but don’t take up as much time. RCEF Teaching Coaches and Guan Ai teachers analyze final exam content and question formats to figure out better ways to help children master different sections and put children in groups where they can help each other.

Why did you cancel the Summer Volunteer Program for 2009? 

RCEF has been shifting its focus from volunteer-driven, short-term rural education projects to year-round programs that help rural teachers make sustainable improvements to their teaching. As a result, we will be focusing our time and resources during the summer months on giving rural teachers opportunities for learning and enrichment.To do this, we will be recruiting trainers who have professional experience in education or other areas relevant to the needs of teachers. To find out how to apply, click here .