Recently, Hunan Province Party Secretary Shen Xiaoming conducted an investigation in Huaihua, during which he made an unscheduled visit to a rural school—Genshankou Central Primary School in Quyang Town. He discovered several issues, including poor infrastructure, most computers in the computer lab being non-functional, and a lack of necessary equipment in the laboratory to meet educational needs. He emphasized the need for improvements in both the hardware and software of rural schools to address these shortcomings.
The findings from this visit highlight the necessity of such investigations. They revealed problems that are often overlooked, such as the high number of unusable computers and inadequate laboratory resources, sparking considerable public concern. This situation underscores the ongoing deficiencies in hardware at rural schools, which urgently need to be addressed.
In today’s digital era, if schools fail to provide foundational computer skills, it can significantly impact the digital literacy of young people. Given that this is a rural primary school, the computer resources available are likely even more precious to many of the students. Therefore, it is crucial to promptly fill these gaps to ensure that children in rural primary schools do not fall behind in the digital age.
In 2022, the Ministry of Education released the “Compulsory Education Curriculum Plan and Curriculum Standards (2022 Edition),” establishing “Information Technology” as a required subject in compulsory education. Concurrently, the Ministry is continually advancing the national education digitalization strategy. However, if most computers at rural primary schools are unusable, these efforts cannot even begin.
Reports indicate that research conducted in collaboration with institutions across 11 provinces, including Guizhou, revealed that 78.4% of students in rural areas engage with digital devices primarily at home. Moreover, the main purpose for using these devices is for entertainment and relaxation, with less than half utilizing them to complete academic tasks. This illustrates that students in rural areas have limited access to school resources and lack the knowledge on how to use them effectively.
Consequently, the issues identified by the Hunan Party Secretary during his unannounced visit, such as the high number of non-functional computers, should not be dismissed as isolated incidents. Society needs to be alert; as technological disparities widen, personal growth differences resulting from such gaps may become even more pronounced.
Education authorities across regions should recognize the urgency of this situation and continue to increase investments in funding, talent, and technology, helping children access the information world. This effort can begin with establishing solid “hardware foundations.”
— Liu Zao (Media Professional)
Source: Xinjingbao
