The Preschool of the Future project in Longling County entered its second year with the support of China Merchants Charitable Foundation and implements the HPP China ’Preschool of the Future project model’. Currently 14 preschool classes in 4 townships have been opened successfully. 

The preschools ran well in the first year. Parents could see that their kids liked the preschool during its one year operation and great changes had occurred to them. The currently operated preschool class for the 5-6 years old in Hannong natural village, Maidi administrative village, Longshan Town could not meet the number of students wanting to enroll. Therefore we planned to open one additional class and publicity and advertisement about the preschool was conducted to enable more parents to know how the preschool was operating. Parents were very hopeful that a new preschool class could open in Hannong village. Therefore, our staff Luo Rujing and Fu Jinfang reported the needs for opening a new preschool class to the local Poverty Alleviation and Development Office and the Bureau of Education. They approved very soon, and also it received support from local Village Committee. 

On July 20, 2015 Luo Rujing and Fu Jinfang organized a parents mobilization meeting in Hannong village, discussed with parents and selected a preschool teacher from the village. The issues about teachers’ salaries, establishment of parents’ committee and how to arrange the classroom, etc were also discussed.  

After the mobilization meeting, we organized site registration. As there were too many 3-6 years old children, what the parents cared the most was who of the children could be enrolled into the preschool first. But due to limited availability of rooms, we could only increase one new preschool class for 30 students in total. It was impossible to enroll all the children. Therefore, we first enrolled 6 years old children, and then the 5 years old, the 4 years old and the 3 years old in succession. But we believe that in the future we will open more preschool classes, as parents think highly of the project and they can see that their children grow more healthily in the preschool.

Hannong preschool class for 4-5 year old children was opened in September. The former primary school had one more classroom. The preschool ground covers an area of around 2000 m2. The class room was elaborately decorated by teachers and students. Currently there are 30 children in the class. The children help one another, study and grow together in the school.

Yang Yanmei is the teacher for Hannong preschool class for 4-5 year old children. She is 25 years old, Han, with high school certificate. She had looked after kids before she become the teacher. Being recommended by parents, she took on the position. Ms. Yang said “I would like to be the teacher because I like students, and also the school is not far away from my home. I can look after my home too.” Besides, the preschool enables the young children to receive preschool education, which reduces parents’ burden and helps them to gradually realize importance of education.

Ms. Yang did not work for the preschool for a long time, but she had unique opinion on preschool education. She said: “We should often communicate with parents, listen to their feedback and recommendations, and take family education as being continuing and additional to preschool education.” We believe that the preschool can be better and better, benefiting more children under the joint efforts made by Ms. Yang and the parents. 


Group photo of Hannong preschool classes of earlier grades and higher grades 


Ms. Yang Yanmei, teacher of Hannong preschool class of earlier grades  


Parents’ Mobilization Meeting for Hannong preschool class of earlier grades

 POF Longling project is supported by China Merchants Charitable Foundation