China school fosters a lifetime of learning

It is a competitive world for students anywhere across the globe, having to compete with their peers and excel in class. And it’s no exception for students in China.
But at Nanjing Pukou Xingzhi Junior High School, principal Yang Ruiqing has ensured that his students have fun in an energetic, creative and inspiring atmosphere where they engage in stimulating and educational activities that encourage life-long learning.
“We believe that a happy childhood, and not fear, is an important recipe for competitiveness, be it at schools or later when students join the workforce,” he said.
Although many schools and teachers still hold on to traditional views of injecting students with academic subjects through lecturing and students’ passive listening in a classroom, Yang said that at his school learning extends beyond the classroom and continues throughout students’ lives.
“In China, if students fail to secure a university seat, they feel terribly bad. But I have been telling my students that if they keep on learning and pursuing knowledge even though they fail a university entrance examination, they will definitely succeed in life,” he said.
For instance, Yang has presented Yuesheng Ding, a successful businessman who failed a university entrance exam, as a role model for his students.
In 1986, Yuesheng established Yileen Garden, which operates a nursery for water plants, including lotus. After repeated failures, Yileen Garden gradually formulated its own management policy and mastered enough advanced planting and lotus hybridising techniques.
It is now a highly prestigious company in China’s horticultural industry, and its diverse species of lotus have won many international awards and been exported around the world.
The lotus is a symbol of purity and elegance cited in poems, songs, fashion and arts. Students often take excursions to visit his garden not only to appreciate the beauty of Yuesheng’s lotus plants, but also to learn from his life experiences.
Learning from real-life experiences gives students direction and allows them to explore a deeper understanding of who they are as individuals, and who they wish to become. Students are taught to possess a thirst for knowledge and find out what their passion is, as Yuesheng found his. His perseverance has given him specific skills that improve his ability to master new techniques or concepts.
Yang teaches his students to adhere to two principles: keep practising, and gain knowledge.
Nanjing Pukou Xingzhi Junior High School’s learning philosophy is so unique that it was picked as a demonstration school to establish a “twin” relationship with a school in Singapore, leading to the launch of the “Heart to Heart” school project.
During the first Olympic Youth Games, held in Singapore in 2010, Nanjing Pukou Xingzhi Junior High was among 45 schools from across the globe selected to carry out cultural and educational exchanges to broaden students’ global perspective and strengthen ties among countries.
The next such international event – the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, to be held from August 16-28 next year – will select 100 model schools to join the Heart to Heart project.