Page 49 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

i. Rural School Visit Tours C. Senior High School Scholarship
a. 16 people went to Qiaojia County in Yunnan Province Project
from D ecem ber 23 - 27, 2009 for a visit and also T h is p ro je c t is to fill th e gap fo llo w in g th e
attended the opening cerem ony of the new school implementation of universal 9-year free education with 3
building.
years of senior high school education. The yearly fee for
b. 28 people went to Xian County in Shaanxi Province sponsoring a senior high student is HK$2,500. Since the
and Y o n g sh o u C o u n ty in X ia n y a n g C ity fro m set up of this project in 2009, the number of applications
December 23-27, 2009 for a visit and also attended for sponsorship is high and this reflects the imm ense
the opening ceremony of the new school building. demand for assistance.
c. 23 people w ent to Qu County in Sichuan Province
Report until
from April 2-6, 2010 for a visit and also attended the Item
8/31/2010
opening ceremony of the new school building.
1. Senior high students sponsored 1,584
2. Sponsors 1,021

3. Distribution o f students:

A. Henan Province 973
B. Guizhou Province 197

C. Yunnan Province 159

D. Anhui Province 82

E. Sichuan Province 173
Total 1,854
Inauguration ceremony of a primary school in Shanxi

ii. Future Plan In view of the fa ct that sp onsorship fo r about

Recently the education policy of China has been 500 senior high first-year students is still pending as
undergoing great reform . Prim ary schools in distant of 2009/10, the w orking team suggested introducing
areas are merged into central primary schools. 9 years a 'M atching Fund' and invites prim ary and secondary
of free education becomes universal, and public tuition schools, churches and organizations to participate. To
education is in full force. These give rise to the decrease assist sponsorship of these senior high students for
of prim ary schools in distant villages and thus cast a 2010/11, Hong Kong C hristian C ouncil w ill allocate
heavy burden on central primary schools in villages and HK$1.25 million to form a matching fund to support these
towns as their present dormitories, education buildings students. The money will be allocated from the surplus
and other facilities all need to be modified, extended or left by the termination of Back to School Project.
even rebuilt.
D. Project Torch
Schools built in the 1980s usually adopted the old
T his p ro je ct is to su pp ort top stu de n ts in the
method of using precast boards. In the 512 Sichuan
poor m ountain areas in M ainland China to com plete
earthquake in 2008, schools with sim ilar structures all
their university education. The sponsors do not only
collapsed and caused huge dam age and casualties.
assist with money but are also encouraged to establish
Now the local government has planned to identify and
friendship and provide life guidance to the students. The
demolish these unsafe schools built with precast boards
cost for sponsoring a university student is HK$7,500
step by step.
yearly and is used to pay for their living expenses as well
Due to the above facts, the w orking team has as lodging. Furthermore, students are also encouraged
decided to concentrate resources to support rebuilding to a p p ly fo r u n iv e rs ity or g o ve rn m e n t g ra n ts and
these schools. subsidies to pay for their tuition fees.

18