BorninFugongCounty,YunnanProvince,in1985,SangLeifromtheNuethnicgroupgraduatedfromPu’erUniversityattheageof22withabachelor’sdegreeincomputereducation.Aftergraduation,hebegantoteachattheruralelementaryschoolinPengdangTownshipinGongshanDulongandNuAutonomousCounty.
Specially-recruitedteachersarenothingnewinChina,buthavereceivedincreasingattentioninrecentyears.In2006,Chinalaunchedagovernmentalprogramtospreadcompulsoryeducationinruralareasofthecountry’scentralandwesternpartsandimprovethequalityofruraleducation.Byrecruitinguniversitygraduatestoworkasruralteachers,theprogramcoinedtheterm“specially-recruitedteachers.”Overthepastdecade,over500,000graduateslikeSangLeihaveventuredto30,000ruralschoolsinmorethan1,000countiesincentralandwesternChina.
AlthoughPengdangWanquanElementarySchoolissmall,theinstitutionisabigdealforthearea’sschool-agedchildren.Somestudentslivenearby,butotherswalkforseventoeighthoursfromtheirhomestoreachtheschool.DimaluoVillage,deepinthemountains,isthemostremoteandinaccessiblevillageintheelementaryschool’sdistrict.Becauseofthedifficultjourney,Sangandotherteachersescortthosestudentshomeforholidaysandfestivals.
“Highwaystakekidsoutofthemountains,butonlyeducationwillleadthemawayfromthemountainsinanyrealsense,”declaresSang.“Asteachers,weshouldertremendousresponsibility.”ForSangandhisstudents,haircutdayhasbecomeaholiday.Withsimpletools,teacherSangistransformedintoastylistforhiskids.
Sangcorrectsstudents’homework.Usually,Sangdoesthisatnight,afterhehasconcludedthewholedaybycheckingthestudentdorms.ChangeStartswithKids
In2007,whenSangarrivedinPengdang,hebecamethefirstelementaryschoolteacherwithabachelor’sdegreeinthetownship.Duetostaffingshortages,SangtaughtsubjectsrangingfromChinese,ethics,musicandarttoEnglish,aswellasbeingaleadingclassteacherandtheheadofaresearchgroup.Servingasaruralteacherisnevereasy,butSanghasmadeeverydayattheschoolasbrightaspossible.Duringhisnineyears,Sanghasvisitedmanystudents’homesbyridingasmallmotorcyclethroughthemountains.Becausehisstudentscomefrommanydifferentethnicgroups,SanghaslearnedtheTibetanandLisulanguageshimselftobettercommunicatewithstudentsandtheirparents.Hehasusedtheinternettoreachouttophilanthropistsandcollectedmorethan10,000donatedbooks.Hehaslearnedtoplaythedrumandtambourineinordertoteachthemtohisstudents,because“musicandartarecrucialfordevelopingaesthetics.”
“Atfirst,IjustwantedtotryteachinginPengdang,”revealsSang.“IknewIcouldstilltakethecivilserviceexamafterthreeyearsattheschool,inaccordancewiththespecially-recruitedteacherprogram.”Uponarrival,heimmediatelyregrettedhisdecision:“Isearchedthewholetownforanelectricricecooker,butcameupempty.ThebestIcouldfindwassomenoodlesandabottleofmeatsauce.”Eventually,helearnedfromthelocalsthatshoppinghappensonMondays,whenvariousvendorstraveltothetown,andthathewouldhavetowaitaweek.“Myfirstweekhere,Iatenoodleswithmeatsauceforthreedaysandinstantnoodlesthenextfour.”
“Forquiteawhile,Ionlylookedforwardtogettingoutofhere,”addsSang.“However,mymindwaschangedbythetrustIbuiltwithmystudentsandarenewedsenseofresponsibility.”
LikeTeacher,LikeFamily
BySang’sthirdyearinPengdang,hismindwasfundamentallychanged.
Oneevening,somefourth-graderscametoseehim.Alittlegirlhadfallenandhurtherhand.Shewasanorphanwholivedwithheruncle’sfamily,butherunclehadgonetoTibettowork.Sangassumedtheroleofthegirl’stemporaryguardianandtookhertoahospitalinthecountyseat.There,adoctorconfirmedthatshehadfracturedaboneinherlefthandthatwouldrequiresurgery.Duringthesurgery,thegirlheldSang’shandtight,andneversaidaworddespitebecomingsoakedinsweatduetothepain.
Afterwards,thegirlwroteanotetoSangthatread:
“TeacherSang,doyouknowwhyIdidn’tcryduringthesurgery?Myfatherandmotheraregone.Whenyoucamewithmetosurgeryyesterday,Ifeltlikemyfatherhadreturned.HowcouldIcryinfrontofmyfather?”
“IsuddenlyrealizedhowmuchImeanttothesekids,”saysSang.“I’mtheironlyspiritualsupport.”Afterthatexperience,hemadeuphismindtostayandteachthere.
PengdangWanquanElementarySchoolisaboardingschool,soSanghasbecomelikefamilyformanystudents.Somestudentslackedpersonalhygienebecausetheirparentswereworkinginfar-offcitiesorsimplytoopoor;theywereindireneedofahaircut.Sangactsasastylistandoffersthisservicetokidsinneedeachmonth.Histoolsaresimple:apairofoldshearsandaplasticsheet.Forthekids,thehaircutdayislikeaholiday.Theylaugh,play,andsmilebrightlywhilewaitingtheirturn.
NightlypatrolsforPengdangWanquanElementarySchoolrequireateachertotoucheachstudent’sforeheadtochecktheirtemperatureandaskifanyonefeelsill.InmanypartsofChina,especiallyremoteareas,teachersbecomehealthcareproviders.Sangsoonconformedtothecommonlocalpracticeofleavinghisdoorunlockedatnight:thelocalpeoplearesimpleandhonest,andthechildrenmayneedtowakehimincaseofanemergency.
“AsfarasIamconcerned,teachingdeepinthemountainsrequiresfarmorethanplanninglessonsandcorrectinghomework,”Sanggrins.Duringhisnine-yeartenureattheschool,hehasbecomeemotionallytiedtohisstudents.“Wespendalmosteverydaytogether.SometimesI’mthenanny,sometimessecurityandsometimesthedoctor.Butattheendoftheday,wearealwaysfamily.”
Inclass.Duringhisnine-yearstayintheschool,SanghastaughtsubjectsrangingfromChinese,ethics,musicandarttoEnglish,aswellasbeingaleadingclassteacherandtheheadofaresearchgroup.