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With more rural men migrating to work in cities， young women from the countryside are also seeking new chances to make the best of their abilities. A small school in a suburb of Beijing has helped thousands of rural women develop career potential since 1998.
Surrounded by shacks in Dadongliu Village in Xiaotangshan Town， Changping District， the campus of the Rural Women Training School is quite austere. There is only one bus route from the village to downtown Beijing and it takes almost half an hour drive to reach the North Fifth Ring Road on the city’s urban-rural fringe.
Wu Qing， the founder， was born in 1937 and taught English literature at Beijing Foreign Studies University until the late 1990s. At the same time， she conducted research in China’s rural areas as a consultant for the Canadian International Development Agency.
“Conditions in rural areas were shockingly harsh， especially for rural women，” Wu added.“Many young girls dropped out as teenagers and worked on farms. They don’t have any say in their families and have no idea how to protect themselves and fight for their own rights.”
Wu believes the development of rural area is very crucial to China’s develop- ment and rural women play a very important role. “An education is the first thing they need，”said Wu.
Wu’s late mother and well-known author Xie Wanying （1900-99）， pen name Bing Xin， provided the school’s initial 100，000-yuan （$16，300） endowment to provide short-term vocational education. In the following years， it received many donations from a range of benefactors.
“Everything was donated by different people and organizations， including the trees， flowers， desks and chairs，” said Luo Zhaohong， the school’s current principal.
The students are either selected by Wu herself or recommended by local women’s federations. “They should be from poor families and have a desire for knowledge，” said Wu.
The school covers all student costs. It offers different courses for students with different career targets， including stenography， kindergarten teaching and sewing.
Student life
Nineteen-year-old Wang Yajuan and 21-yearold Zhang Shijuan are both from north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and enrolled in a three-month course on kindergarten teaching in March.
“We have studied many things here that we never thought we could get access before， such as dancing， singing and keyboard playing，”Wang told Beijing Review. “After I failed the college entrance exam， I went to some cities to work but at the bottom of my heart， I still want to go back to my hometown to do something meaningful.” “I am 21 years old now and should start thinking about a stable future. I don’t think city life is for me as I still feel more comfortable to be with my family in my hometown，”said Zhang， who had also been working in cities before her enrollment to the school.“I love kids and teaching kindergarten in my hometown suits me.”
Both of them admitted that they were very disappointed at the first sight of the school. “It was my first time in Beijing and I imagined we would study in modern high-rises. But here it’s just flat houses， like my hometown，” said Zhang.
Wang echoed with Zhang， “This place is no different from my hometown. And it is so far away from downtown.”
But after one week， they had already adapted to life in the school. “The teachers here are very nice and it feels more like a big family，”said Zhang， who made many friends here and doesn’t want to leave anytime soon.
Compared to many other students who have never been to Beijing before， 20-yearold Zhou Jing from northwest China’s Gansu Province had worked as a waitress in a cafe downtown for more than a year before entering the school.
“The cost of living in Beijing is skyrocketing and I don’t think it is suitable for me anymore，”said Zhou. “Since I graduated from high school， I haven’t had a chance to go back and learn... I am so happy that I can become a student again and I cherish this precious opportunity.”
Zhou also plans to go back to her hometown and work as a kindergarten teacher.
“Eighty percent of our students want to go back to their hometowns after studying here，” said Luo. “It is contrary to the popular assumption that rural people are more in- clined to stay in big cities.”
“I think the hometown needs me more，”said 21-year-old Zhang Yan from southwest China’s Sichuan Province. After middle school， Zhang dropped out and started to help with farmwork at home. “I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher but I wasn’t qualified.”
Zhang Yan heard about the Rural Women Training School from her uncle， who read about it in a newspaper. “I was very excited to know there was such a channel and I finally got accepted，” she said. “I have broadened my horizons， as there are frequent foreign visitors.”
Instructors encourage the future teachers to speak with confidence in front of their classmates. “I am more open and active now and I am confident to become a good kindergarten teacher in my hometown，” said Zhang Yan.
Here we are
“Many rural women are actually very talented. They just need a chance，” said Luo， who has been working at the school for 10 years. “This school provides greater opportunities to those who have the least.”
The school has trained more than 10，000 students of 22 ethnic groups from 26 provinces and autonomous regions since its founding.
Wang Zhongjiao， who took courses on kindergarten teaching for three months in 2006， is now the headmaster of a kindergarten in her hometown in Inner Mongolia.
“Teachers always taught us never to give up. The early days of working in the local kindergarten were very stressful and I almost quit，”said Wang.
Except for the regular courses， Wu also taught students how to fight for their rights using laws. She carries the Chinese Constitution with her at all times and teaches the students which laws protect them in which situations.
“I tell the students after they go back to their hometowns， they can call me for advice if they get into trouble，” said Wu. “We want them to be empowered women with confidence and a sense of justice.”
Wu’s school attracts admiration from international educators.
“It is marvelous to have a well-organized school with so many contributions. It helps a lot for their future” said William L. Parish， a professor of sociology at the University of Chicago. Parish brought his own students for a visit on May 10.
“Women do need to be given more confidence and need to find an independent way on their own，” said Parish.
（Photos by Yuan Yuan）
Surrounded by shacks in Dadongliu Village in Xiaotangshan Town， Changping District， the campus of the Rural Women Training School is quite austere. There is only one bus route from the village to downtown Beijing and it takes almost half an hour drive to reach the North Fifth Ring Road on the city’s urban-rural fringe.
Wu Qing， the founder， was born in 1937 and taught English literature at Beijing Foreign Studies University until the late 1990s. At the same time， she conducted research in China’s rural areas as a consultant for the Canadian International Development Agency.
“Conditions in rural areas were shockingly harsh， especially for rural women，” Wu added.“Many young girls dropped out as teenagers and worked on farms. They don’t have any say in their families and have no idea how to protect themselves and fight for their own rights.”
Wu believes the development of rural area is very crucial to China’s develop- ment and rural women play a very important role. “An education is the first thing they need，”said Wu.
Wu’s late mother and well-known author Xie Wanying （1900-99）， pen name Bing Xin， provided the school’s initial 100，000-yuan （$16，300） endowment to provide short-term vocational education. In the following years， it received many donations from a range of benefactors.
“Everything was donated by different people and organizations， including the trees， flowers， desks and chairs，” said Luo Zhaohong， the school’s current principal.
The students are either selected by Wu herself or recommended by local women’s federations. “They should be from poor families and have a desire for knowledge，” said Wu.
The school covers all student costs. It offers different courses for students with different career targets， including stenography， kindergarten teaching and sewing.
Student life
Nineteen-year-old Wang Yajuan and 21-yearold Zhang Shijuan are both from north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and enrolled in a three-month course on kindergarten teaching in March.
“We have studied many things here that we never thought we could get access before， such as dancing， singing and keyboard playing，”Wang told Beijing Review. “After I failed the college entrance exam， I went to some cities to work but at the bottom of my heart， I still want to go back to my hometown to do something meaningful.” “I am 21 years old now and should start thinking about a stable future. I don’t think city life is for me as I still feel more comfortable to be with my family in my hometown，”said Zhang， who had also been working in cities before her enrollment to the school.“I love kids and teaching kindergarten in my hometown suits me.”
Both of them admitted that they were very disappointed at the first sight of the school. “It was my first time in Beijing and I imagined we would study in modern high-rises. But here it’s just flat houses， like my hometown，” said Zhang.
Wang echoed with Zhang， “This place is no different from my hometown. And it is so far away from downtown.”
But after one week， they had already adapted to life in the school. “The teachers here are very nice and it feels more like a big family，”said Zhang， who made many friends here and doesn’t want to leave anytime soon.
Compared to many other students who have never been to Beijing before， 20-yearold Zhou Jing from northwest China’s Gansu Province had worked as a waitress in a cafe downtown for more than a year before entering the school.
“The cost of living in Beijing is skyrocketing and I don’t think it is suitable for me anymore，”said Zhou. “Since I graduated from high school， I haven’t had a chance to go back and learn... I am so happy that I can become a student again and I cherish this precious opportunity.”
Zhou also plans to go back to her hometown and work as a kindergarten teacher.
“Eighty percent of our students want to go back to their hometowns after studying here，” said Luo. “It is contrary to the popular assumption that rural people are more in- clined to stay in big cities.”
“I think the hometown needs me more，”said 21-year-old Zhang Yan from southwest China’s Sichuan Province. After middle school， Zhang dropped out and started to help with farmwork at home. “I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher but I wasn’t qualified.”
Zhang Yan heard about the Rural Women Training School from her uncle， who read about it in a newspaper. “I was very excited to know there was such a channel and I finally got accepted，” she said. “I have broadened my horizons， as there are frequent foreign visitors.”
Instructors encourage the future teachers to speak with confidence in front of their classmates. “I am more open and active now and I am confident to become a good kindergarten teacher in my hometown，” said Zhang Yan.
Here we are
“Many rural women are actually very talented. They just need a chance，” said Luo， who has been working at the school for 10 years. “This school provides greater opportunities to those who have the least.”
The school has trained more than 10，000 students of 22 ethnic groups from 26 provinces and autonomous regions since its founding.
Wang Zhongjiao， who took courses on kindergarten teaching for three months in 2006， is now the headmaster of a kindergarten in her hometown in Inner Mongolia.
“Teachers always taught us never to give up. The early days of working in the local kindergarten were very stressful and I almost quit，”said Wang.
Except for the regular courses， Wu also taught students how to fight for their rights using laws. She carries the Chinese Constitution with her at all times and teaches the students which laws protect them in which situations.
“I tell the students after they go back to their hometowns， they can call me for advice if they get into trouble，” said Wu. “We want them to be empowered women with confidence and a sense of justice.”
Wu’s school attracts admiration from international educators.
“It is marvelous to have a well-organized school with so many contributions. It helps a lot for their future” said William L. Parish， a professor of sociology at the University of Chicago. Parish brought his own students for a visit on May 10.
“Women do need to be given more confidence and need to find an independent way on their own，” said Parish.
（Photos by Yuan Yuan）