(By HPP China, Reporting period: January 1,2024 to April 30,2024)
Prepared by the International HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE Movement (Switzerland) Yunnan Representative Office (HPP)
May 15,2024
[1] The originally planned project period ranged from January 1 to March 31, 2024. Due to the Spring Festival from February 9 to 15, both the school and the construction units could not continue the construction. There were 10 classes distributed in three townships, with a distance of some 300 km apart at maximum. The commuting distance for transporting materials and construction personnel was longer than planned. From late March, the responsible person took a two-week leave for personal reasons. All in all, the entire project was halted and delayed, which resulted in a one-month extension of the project until April 30, 2024.
1. Project context
Qiaojia is a county located in the southeast of Yunnan PR China, in the southwest of Zhaotong, adjacent to Ningnan and Butuo, Liangshan, Sichuan, a remote and poor mountainous area. The Federation for Associations connected to the International HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE Movement (Switzerland) Yunnan Representative Office and the Qiaojia County Education and Sports Bureau jointly started a collaboration in February 2018 to launch the ‘Preschools of the Future’ (POF) project. By March 2024, the project has supported a total of 60 preschool classes, covering some 4,600 children.
With the support of the governmental policy of ‘One Village, One Preschool’, the infrastructure such as the school space has been solved. However, because the class was affiliated with the village primary school, the primary school most often chose to select old primary school classrooms. The teachers have improved their teaching abilities due to the intervention of the project, and the project staff also assisted the teachers in standardizing the management of the preschool class and supporting the design of teaching curriculum for the preschool class and supplementing the teaching materials; however, the classroom environment has not been well improved due to the lack of sufficient funds.
(before)
(before: A classroom with no specific activity corner)
In addition, in the daily teaching process of the class, we found that the improvement of the class environment and the use of playing-teaching kits could avoid blackboard rote learning to a certain extent. Learning Through Play was required to arouse the children's interest in learning and to improve the quality of rural preschool education and teaching quality.
The China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF) donated 239,567 yuan (CNY), in order to create a child-friendly teaching environment and provide more children with education. From January 2024 to April, 10 preschool classes in five townships, including Dazhai, Dongping, Xindian, Chongxi and Yuping of Qiaojia were renovated and equipped.
2. Project activities
2.1 Provide large outdoor toys and indoor education and teaching equipment for 14 preschool classes
Through the site visit to each preschool classes and inquiries to the principals of the village primary schools, the project team gathered the needs of the class. At the same time, they reported the needs and programs to the leaders of the central school for their feedback and consent. The grant project was then implemented according to the verified needs of each preschool. Consequently 14 preschool classes in 10 preschool sites were equipped with relevant outdoor and indoor toys and learning aids. Procurement rules were strictly followed through tripartite inquiry, including the local market, Kunming market and Alibaba online market. By comparing the prices of the same commodities through multiple channels, the affordability and quality of the determined commodities were confirmed. The procured goods consisted of outdoor slides, climbing ladders, wooden plank bridges, suspended floors, as well as tables, napping beds, drinking water machines for indoor teaching and daily life activities. The procured materials and goods were distributed to the related preschools, respectively from April 28 to 30, 2024. (See Appendix 2-Material table for details)
List of the selected play and learning aids for the preschool class
Materials procured from Kunming and online delivered to Qiaojia after temporary storage
The procured play and learning aids
The purchased large slides
Equipment and toys delivered and collected at Dongping Central School
Equipment and toys transported to Xindian Central School
Equipment and toys delivered to Xinjie preschool and checked by Jin Zhongbao (the CPC committee secretary) of Dongping Town Central School
Equipments and toys collected at Xindian Kaiji preschool
Anju preschool’s slide
Anju preschool climbing ladder
Children at the Hangu preschool
Slides in use at the Hangu preschool
Procured climbing ladder in use at the Hangu preschool
2.2 Renovation activities implemented in the 10 preschool classes
From February 28 to 30, 2024, the project crew went to each and every class for field investigation, and confirmed what was to be repaired and transformed. The classroom environment of the 10 classes was clearly worn down. There were many cracks and pits in the wall and the ground, and the lamps were aged. Therefore the main repairing tasks included paving the classroom floor, replacing the door and lightening, whitening the walls and ceilings.
Site investigation of Dazhai Guancun classroom for renovation details
Site investigation of Dongping Shuye classroom for renovation details
Since the renovation locations were far apart and quality construction teams not necessarily locally available, the project team looked for one quality contractor for all sites. After negotiating and investigating three construction teams, headed by Yang Xingbing, Xu Congming and Zhang Mingzhou, Zhang Mingzhou’s team won the bid, thanks to its rational pricing, engineering quality and guaranteed after-sale service along with effective communication. The project team and Zhang Mingzhou signed the construction contract on March 2, 2024 with construction to start on March 5, 2024 and completion on April 30, 2024.
In order to ensure the quality of the project, to safeguard the health and safety of the children, both parties specially agreed on the following items:
1. To use odorless and non-toxic Nippon paint;
2. To select light apple green color to paint the theme wall of the classroom and other walls;
3. To select maple texture tiles for the classroom floors.
In order to ensure the correct use of environment-friendly materials and construction in strict accordance with the requirements, the project crew and the village primary school principals would supervise the construction site from time to time. On March 13th, the HPP staff supervised the classroom restoration site of Guancun and Songping preschool class. On March 20, 2024, Zeng Mei, a staff of the financial department of the Humana Kunming Project Service Center, paid a visit to Guancun, Dazhai, and the Anju Preschool Class of Songhe to supervise the renovation progress of the classroom and checked on whether the repairing materials were used as required, and required the construction party to complete the repair with the quality and quantity guaranteed as planned. From April 28 to 30, the leaders of Dazhai, Dongping and Xindian Central School went to 10 preschool classes to do quality check and do the acceptance check of the renovations. The quality of all the school repair projects proved to have reached the required standard, passed the acceptance check and successfully the preschools classes were put to use.
The acceptance table for preschool classroom renovation
Dazhai Guacun preschool classroom before the renovation
Guancun preschool class classroom renovation
Zeng Mei, an HPP staff visited the renovation site of the classroom in Guancun, Dazhai
HPP staff Zeng Mei checked and confirmed the renovation materials
The children enjoyed their new classroom
Zeng Mei inspecting the renovation site of Songping Preschool Class in Dazhai
Yangliu preschool class classroom before the renovation
Yangliu preschool class classroom during renovation
Yangliu preschool class classroom after renovation
Jin Zhongbao, secretary of CPC of Dongping Central Primary School, and principal of Yangliu Primary School did the acceptance check of the renovated classroom together with the project staff
The director of Dazhai Town Central School, the village principal and project staff jointly verify
Dazhai town central school, the village primary school and the construction party jointly accepted of Songping preschool class classroom’s renovation
Dongping Town Liangping preschool class classroom after renovation and acceptance
Dongping town Yezi preschool class classroom renovation acceptance
Mr. He (Secretary of CPC committee) of Xindian Town Central School, Principal Xiao Yang and project staff inspect CTEF's renovation of the Kaiji preschool
After the renovation of the Shuijing preschool in Xindian, the central school and village leaders and project staff jointly did the acceptance check after the project completion
3. Project results
The CTEF renovation project has benefited 19 classes of 15 preschools in five townships, namely Dazhai, Dongping, Xindian, Chongxi in Qiaojia, and Yuping street office. Five preschools’ classrooms completed the renovation and procurement of play equipment. Nine preschool classes only procured playing equipment, and five classes completed only the classroom renovation. The total project benefited 475 children. Teachers and headmasters and parents gave the following feedback:
"
The improvement of the teaching environment promoted the growth and development of the children: as children spend most of their daytime in the preschool, the environment of the classroom is crucial. As a kind of invisible education curriculum, the preschool environment is of special significance to children in the stage of rapid physical and mental development. By creating a healthy and orderly educational environment, we can promote the healthy development of children's personalities. Children were fond of the changed classroom very much, because the classroom became very beautiful and suitable for learning.
The improved teaching aids and facilities have produced great impacts and helped the children and their teachers: high-quality and sufficient teaching equipment plays the role of optimization, providing children with a diversified learning experience and inspiring learning environment, stimulating children's interest in learning and thirst for knowledge, and cultivating their creativity and innovative thinking. At the same time, the correct use of teaching equipment can also help teachers to better teach, provide targeted guidance and feedback, and promote children's learning and development. The teachers explained that through the use of playing aids, they have carried out more interesting activities and the children were more active, and there were more interactions between teachers and children.
The local project partners’ feedback: Yang Jing, the Director of Xinjie Preschool in Dongping explained: “Thank you to CTEF for their support, the preschool class received a lot of playing aids and improved the teaching conditions greatly, and provided the teachers and the students with more high quality education environment and resources. They can now receive better education in a better teaching condition, thank you very much on behalf of the children!
The implementation of the project has greatly improved the teaching conditions of these rural preschool classes, created a better learning and growth environment for the preschool class children, and made a positive contribution to the development of the local preschool education cause."
4. Project story
"New friends" in the preschool
As quoted: “I am a teacher of Anju Preschool in Dazhai Town. It is my great honor to share this story with everyone at present. Now, my heart is filled with gratitude and joy, the CTEF project brought the renovation of the classroom and turned the classroom into a new page. The renovation provides the children with a good study environment, stimulating the children's passion for learning, promoting the the growth and development of their wisdom. In addition to classroom renovation, the project also supported a number of large-scale play equipment in the preschool. These teaching tools could not only enrich the after-school activities, but also cultivate children's sports abilities and have become our partners in learning and accompanying us to grow up. These hardware facilities did not only improve the learning and growth environment of children, but also enrich the teaching activities of the class, reflecting the care and support of the project for the class everywhere.
Today is a shiny day, the preschool playground greets a big new friend, the slide! The slide instantly attracted the attention of the children, and they were excited and overjoyed and they couldn't wait to have fun with their new friend.
Yang Wenyi was the first to slide; he carefully climbed the top of the slide and then took a deep breath, shua! He slid down to the bottom. He was excited and the children cried out joyfully and shouted "So much fun, so happy! Come and play together!" The rest of the children followed him and were also overwhelmed in the happy atmosphere, having climbed on the slide to have fun together. The children going down the slide were happy and clapped their hands. Some children went to the climbing ladder to play the game of Climbing Mt. Everest, while some of the children went to the bridge and began the hero bridge game. I stood beside looking at the children in happiness.
The children are all fond of the new friends in the preschool very much; they play together and accompany each other. The new friends give the children a lot of fun and joy, so that the children can learn and grow happily in the preschool every day.”
The children joyfully slide down in the preschool
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