A Top Chinese University Reaches Out to Migrant Workers.docx
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ATopChineseUniversityReachesOuttoMigrantWorkers
ATopChineseUniversityReachesOuttoMigrantWorkers
OnMarch6,2009,theCommonSchoolofPekingUniversity,oneofChina’smostprestigiousinstitutesofhighereducation,commenceditsfourthsession.Overthecourseofsixmonths102membersoftheuniversity’ssubsidiarystaff,suchaschefsandguards,willtakeclassescoveringeverythingfromvocationaltrainingtosocialetiquette.
Theschool,runningunderthelogo“promotingthenotionofequalityandfulfillingcommoners’dreams,”isintendedtoexploreanewmodeofeducationformigrantworkers,whosenumbershavereachedhundredsofmillionsacrossthenation.
ProvidingGeneralEducation
Similarprogramsweretakingplaceasearlyas91yearsagoatPekingUniversity.In1918thethen-universitypresidentCaiYuanpeifoundedanightclassforschoollaborers.Itwasfollowedbyaschoolandalecturegroupforsubsidiarystaffdoingoddjobs,sponsoredbyuniversitystudents,whowereardentaboutimprovingthelearningandarousingtheconsciousnessofthepopulace.
ThePKUCommonSchoolhasdisparatepurposes.Itwasinfactstartedasaresearchprojectoncontinuingeducationformigrantworkersfromruralareasbytheuniversity’sGraduateSchoolofEducation.
“Wefoundinourstudythatthesepeoplehaveahardtimefittingintourbancultureandliving.Akeyreasonisalackofschoolingandtraining,”saidProf.DingXiaohao.
Theuniversityhasabigcommunityofapproximately3,000migrantlaborers.Thetradeunionhasbeenexploringwaystobetterservethem,sotheprojectprofessorsandunionleaderssoonsensedachanceforfruitfulcooperation.InSeptember2006thefirstsessionofthecommonschoolwasinaugurated,withanenrollmentof53.
Theinitialcurriculumincludedsocialinteraction,psychologicalhealth,sharingandtolerance,aswellasbasiccomputerskillsandEnglish.Inresponsetoparticipants’feedback反馈,itlatertiltedmoretowardsthefirstthreeareas.
AccordingtoProf.Ding,migrantworkersfromruralareasoftenadheretoruralconventionsandhabitsaftermovingtothecity,whichoftencreatesculturalclashes.
Leavingbehindfamilymembersandconnections,thesepeoplearestrangerstothecitiestheyworkin,andfaceapainfulacclimatizationtourbancircumstances.Someguidancemakesthisprocessshorterandeasier.
Theschoolhasnowaddedanotherclass:
healthysex.Thisisaboldmoveinalargelyconservativesociety.SunLi,deputyprincipaloftheschoolandvicechairwomanoftheuniversity’stradeunion,isawareoftheneedsofherstudents.“Mostofthemigrantworkersintheuniversityaresingleintheirtwenties.Betterknowledgeofsexisimportanttothem.”
HigherLearningResourcesPlusVolunteers
Prof.DingXiaohaoandothermembersofherresearchprojectconductedasurveyamongthemigrantworkersatPekingUniversitybeforelaunchingtheCommonSchool.Theresultsshowedthatthe3,000orsolaborershaveanaverageageof26.8years,and76percenthavesixyearsorlessschooling.Themajorityareawareofthegapbetweentheirprofessionalskillsandmarketdemands,butbalkatfurthereducationortrainingbecauseoflimitedtime(68.5percent)andtheexorbitantcostsinvolved(46.5percent).
Prof.Dingbelievesthatuniversities,withalargepoolofqualifiedvolunteersamongstaffmembersandstudents,andrichresourcesintermsofclassroomsandteachingfacilities,canplayaconstructiveroleinthefurthereducationofmigrantworkers.
Some30teachersfromtheGraduateSchoolofEducationteachintheCommonSchool,assistedby40to50studentsineachsession.XuChunbin,aLawSchooljunior,hasvolunteeredintheCommonSchoolsinceitsopeningin2006.“Studentsarepassionateaboutbeingvolunteers.Forthefourthsessionwereceivedmorethan100applicationsfor40posts.”
ForthefirstthreesessionsXuassistedwithEnglishteachingandafter-schoolactivities.Nowheisinchargeofvolunteermanagement.“TheexperiencehashelpedmeunderstandthemeaningofConfucius’saying‘teachingwithoutdistinction’,”Xusaid.“Educationistherightofall.WhatwearedoingintheCommonSchoolisimpartingthisideatomoremigrantworkers.”
Prof.Dingstressesthatthefacultyshouldshowduerespectforagroupwithanaverageageof26butatleastfiveyearsworkexperienceeach.“Throughourclassesandthroughcontactwithteachersandvolunteers,ourstudentsareexpectedtoexpandtheirsocialcircles,toactivatethepositivesideoftheirmind,andeventuallyachieveselfimprovement.”
Prof.DingbelievestheCommonSchoolwillbringchangesnotonlytoitsstudents,butalsopeoplearoundthem.“Ithasarippleeffect.Ourstudentswillpassknowledgetotheiracquaintances,andignitethedesiretostudyinothers.”
ThecurriculumofthePKUCommonSchoolhasbeenmadeintoavideobyChinaEducationTelevision(CETV),andisavailableonlinefreeofcharge.
ALongWaytoGo
“AtthebeginningoftheCommonSchoolmanyemployershadnoideaoftheeffectsonmigrantworkers,andsomeworriedaboutrisesinlabordisputesoncemigrantworkersbecamebetterawareoftheirrights,”recalledSunLi,theschool’sdeputyprincipal.“Aftertwosessionsourtraineesreportedbetterperformanceattheirjobs,andmanywereelectedmodelworkers.”
CaoZhigang,ahiredhandattheuniversity’sdiningcenter,acknowledgedthatsomeemployersthinkignorantworkersaremoredocile.“Infactitisinbothparties’intereststhatbothsidesknowtheirrightsandobligations,andcanresorttonegotiationsincaseofdisputes.”The39-year-oldattendedthefirstsessionoftheCommonSchool,andhassinceattendedclassesregularly.“Thebiggestchangehasbeeninside.Itchangesthewayyouviewtheworldandgetalongwithotherpeople.”Forinstance,afteraclassonenvironmentalprotection,hebegantonoticesomethingsaroundhimthathepreviouslyignored,andhassinceparticipatedintheannualvolunteercleanupcampaignoncampus.
AccordingtoasurveyamongtheCommonSchooltrainees,themostlovedclassesareonsocialintercourseskills(81percent),careerplanning(79percent)andremainingupbeat(71percent).Englishandcomputertrainingareratedlower.
Prof.Ding,whoparticipatedinthedesignofcurriculums,explainedthatthelessonsarenotmeanttoimpartprofoundlearning,butinsteadinstillthefundamentalvaluesandconceptsrequiredbyeverycitizen.“Eachelement,whetherit’salecture,discussionorgroupactivity,isdevisedtofosterself-confidenceandasenseofbelongingamongourstudents.”
DeputyPrincipalSunLiwasimpressedwiththeeagernessofmigrantworkerstocooperate.“Weprovidetrainingtocollegestudentsofvariousgrades,butnoclassesaresoferventlyreceivedasthoseformigrantworkers.Theyshowastrongdesiretobeadmittedtocitylife,andtobeacceptedandcaredabout.”
DespitethepopularityoftheCommonSchool,theprogramhasyettocatchonatotheruniversitiesinthewaytheorganizershadoriginallyanticipated.“Itrequiresahugeinputoftime,energyandmoney,”SunLiconcedes.“Itisgoodtoadmitmorepeople.ButourcurrentcapacitycanbarelymeettheneedsofmigrantworkersatPekingUniversity.Thetotalenrollmentspaceforthefoursessionsoftheschoolisonly300orso.”Duetopressureonavailablespaces,forthemomenttheschoolhasnoplanstoopentomigrantworkersoutsidetheuniversity.Despiteitslimitedambit,theschoolisoneofthemanyencouragingsignsofgrowingconcernaboutahugecommunityplayingacrucialroleinChina’sdevelopment.