Dunhuang City Yangguan Yu-Lang Hope School
Date of Visit: September 27, 2013
Purpose of Visit: Revisit
Grades: K1-9 (16 classes total)
The school is meticulously managed. Teachers are kind and dedicated to education, and students are lively, polite, and adorable. The campus is neat and clean, with shade-providing trees dotted throughout. It is an oasis in the middle of a expansive desert. The dormitory is clean and tidy, similar to that of military barracks. This school is truly admirable.
Students
No. of Students: 587 (170 boarding)
Students are energetic and studious. 50% of students graduate on to high school, while the other 50% go on to vocational school. It is considered the top school in Yangguan.
Teachers
No. of Teachers: 45
All staff live on campus. Teachers are dedicated, enthusiastic, and energetic. Music, PE, and art classes are part of the overall curriculum. English and computer classes are taught starting in the third grade.
Buildings/Facilities
– 18 classrooms
– 14 multipurpose rooms
– Dormitory
– Library: ~9,800 books
– Computer Room: 75 computers
– Cafeteria: separate spaces for students and teachers
– Restrooms: flush-style; clean
Problems/Issues
Some of the books in the library are outdated and no longer apply to today’s world. There are 75 computers for student use, but they are not available to teachers. We hope to get 15 additional computers as a tool to help teachers prepare lessons. The principal has been working in education for the past 23 years, and has been at his current position for 9 years (his home is in Dunhuang, only going home on the weekends). Due to his competitive nature, sense of responsibility, and strive for honor, the principal is already overworked. He suffers from hypertension, insomnia, depression, and sometimes irritability. The local education bureau chief has promised to transfer the principal to another school closer to home next year, but the principal doesn’t have the heart to leave. He is quite attached to this school and has stated that since TDF began helping in 2007, the school has made leaps and bounds in improvements. As of today, it has been six years.