STORY: Kindergartens bring education to children's doorsteps in pastoral areas in China's Qinghai
DATELINE: Oct. 28, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:14
LOCATION: XINING, China
CATEGORY: EDUCATION

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the kindergarten
2. STANDUP (English): PEMA YANGTSO, Xinhua correspondent
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): TSERING DRADUL, Deputy head of a kindergarten in Chudri Township, Qumalai County
4. various of the kindergarten
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): DONG ZHU, Deputy head of Qumalai County
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): TSERING DRADUL, Deputy head of a kindergarten in Chudri Township, Qumalai County

STORYLINE:

Located in the hinterland of the Yellow River's source area, Qumalai County in China's Qinghai spans an area of 52,000 square kilometers and is home to a population of 47,000.

On the vast grasslands of Qumalai, many preschool children lead a nomadic lifestyle alongside their families.

Due to the long distance between their pasture homes and kindergartens in the county seat or township seat, many children were unable to attend kindergarten alone without the company of their family members.

STANDUP (English): PEMA YANGTSO, Xinhua correspondent
"In order to provide every child in the pastoral area with the opportunity to receive preschool education, teachers in this kindergarten drive to the herdsman's houses every week to bring the classroom into the tent or even on the grassland.
From the smiles and curious eyes of these children, we can see that they really have fun and enjoy the learning process here."

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): TSERING DRADUL, Deputy head of a kindergarten in Chudri Township, Qumalai County
"We bring education to people's doorsteps. Since 2018, teachers from the school have been visiting every household, sometimes by car, and in areas inaccessible for cars, they use motorcycles, horses, or even oxen to reach each home. They provide education for every student, every preschooler."

To further provide convenience for the mobile teaching,
"sunshine kindergartens" have been established in the region

Under a pairing-up assistance program, the CHN Energy Investment Group has invested 13.5 million yuan (about 1.84 million U.S. dollars) since 2022 to build 15 "sunshine kindergartens" in Qumalai, fulfilling the educational needs of children in remote pastoral areas.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): DONG ZHU, Deputy head of Qumalai County
"Each 'sunshine kindergarten' is equipped with two sets of container-style prefabricated houses. These houses have photovoltaic panels on their roofs, capable of generating and storing electricity. This setup addresses the teaching, living, and charging needs of the kindergartens, significantly enhancing the efficiency of early childhood education."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): TSERING DRADUL, Deputy head of a kindergarten in Chudri Township, Qumalai County
"Every time we face our preschoolers and their parents, seeing their smiles, we feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. I believe it's very worthwhile."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Xining, China.
(XHTV)