Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

A smart education program in Xiangzhou, Zhuhai, is allowing students almost 2,000 kilometers away in Lushui city, a sub-district of Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture, Southwest China's Yunnan province, to benefit from Xiangzhou’s great quality education.

"Hello, boys and girls in Zhuhai, I am so glad to welcome your classmates in Nujiang to join you through the smart class platform," a math teacher said facing the cameras.

It is soon to be a common scene in the 11th primary school in Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, after the school launched a poverty-relief program to support smart education in Lushui city.

Yi Xiaopei, a teacher at the 11th primary school and Lu Yang, a volunteer teacher from Zhuhai, worked together to give students in both areas a math lesson on Sept 27.

Students in Xiangzhou District and Lushui have a simultaneous class. [Photo/Zhuhai News] 

"We went to Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture to look into the feasibility of remote education this year. The rugged mountain roads heavily frustrated local teachers from further education," said Zheng Yadong, deputy director of Xiangzhou District education bureau. 

Zheng led a team to offer education assistance in Lushui city on Aug 29, 2017 and pushed the bureau to avail of the district's smart campus platform to support its counterpart when he returned.

In 2015, Xiangzhou District launched the smart campus project as well as tried out several pilot projects of interactive and simultaneous classes and online classes in several primary schools such as Zhenxian and Rongtai.

Teachers were involved in the whole-process of the internet-focused class from installing teaching tools to wireless network connection. Each classroom received investment of 4,000 yuan ($600.11).

Representatives from Xiangzhou District take part in supporting education for Lushui, a sub-district of Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, in August. [Photo/zhxz.gov.cn]

The online class platform includes teaching and research, instructing, and coaching, major courses of which were all designed by Xiangzhou's young teachers. It allows students in remote areas to learn at any time and at any place.

At present, the platform provides approximately 4,000 high-quality teaching courses for students.

Unlike traditional education, consisting of a school, classroom and designated instructor, internet plus education features internet, mobile terminals, and unlimited numbers of students and teachers.

"Internet plus poverty relief has become a reality in Lushui," said Yu Yanghua, deputy director of Lushui education bureau. "It helps enrich our horizon and draw Zhuhai and Lushui closer to each other!"

Xiangzhou District has been striving to develop an online counseling center, based on the demand for teachers in Lushui, facilitating communication between students in Yunnan province and teachers in Guangdong province during the evenings.

With more classrooms in Xiangzhou District well equipped with smart devices, the educational aid will focus on pairing-assistance to five schools in Lushui, enabling students to share in the excellent teaching resources, local media reported.