China News Service, Yichang, September 10th, title: A teacher in Hubei has been rooted in the mountains for 22 years and used music to light up his colorful childhood
Author Qiu Tianxing Song Jianfeng
What does a music class mean to country children?
"No matter how high the mountain is, how far the road is, even if it is deep in the mountains, sitting on the ridge, even if the food, clothing, housing and transportation are not comparable to the children in the city, but you can still ride on the wings of music to see a richer world and overlook the mountains and the earth. Look at the stars and the sea!" This is the answer of Yu Liangju, a music teacher who has been rooted in the mountains of Hubei for 22 years.
In 1998, 20-year-old Yu Liangju came to Zhangcunping Primary School in Yiling District, Yichang City, Hubei Province as a music teacher.
Zhangcunping Town is the most remote township in Yiling District, with a highest elevation of over 1,900 meters and an average elevation of 1,100 meters. The mountains are sparsely populated.
Yu Liangju teaches music to the children.
Photo courtesy of Zhangcunping Primary and Secondary School
"At that time, there were almost 10 schools in the town with teaching sites, but including me, there were only two music teachers." Yu Liangju said that as the "only second" music teacher in the mountains, he would go to a school without a music teacher." "Teaching" to help rehearse the art program.
At that time, there was a lack of teachers in mountain village schools. In addition to music, Yu Liangju also took courses in Chinese, art, labor skills, and science. “I also thought about changing the teaching to the'main course', but I still like music and I prefer to use music to bring it to the children in the mountains. A different experience."
Feeling the gap in art education between urban and rural areas, Yu Liangju feels sad.
He is groping to learn more instruments, tells a story about Chinese and foreign music celebrities in each class, and organizes many activities creatively.
He insisted on holding music, sports, and art report exhibitions at the end of the semester, and later extended activities such as "Celebrating New Year's Day" Raqqa OK competition, "Inspirational Songs Everyone Sing" and other activities.
In addition, the school holds art festivals every week, and occasionally there are bonfire parties, and he takes the children to dance Bashan dance together.
In the peaceful mountains, Yu Liangju used music and bonfires to light up the children's hearts.
Yu Liangju recalled that he taught a pair of siblings, their parents passed away, and their grandmother was dependent on each other.
Yu Liangju filled up meal cards and bought supplies for the brothers and sisters, encouraging them to study hard and become independent.
My sister liked music lessons very much, and later went to university and went out of the mountains.
With a monthly salary of a few hundred yuan, Yu Liangju also presented bamboo flutes and other musical instruments to impoverished students.
Yu Liangju's music class.
Photo courtesy of Zhangcunping Primary and Secondary School
Over the past 22 years, Yu Liangju has welcomed more than a dozen music teachers and sent them away one by one.
The situation is different now.
In addition to the kindergarten teachers with music literacy, the town now has 3 professional music teachers. Yu Liangju said happily: "Ms. Wang from Xiangyang Primary School, graduated from the Conservatory of Music the year before last!"
In Yu Liangju's view, these changes have benefited from national policies and parents' emphasis on quality education, as well as improvements in hardware facilities.
"The country advocates strengthening the teaching staff of rural schools and popularizing special arts and sports classes. This semester is the first year of the implementation of the'double reduction' policy. Children in the mountains will have more opportunities to swim in the ocean of art!" Yu Liangju said, he will not leave He is always there as long as the children need it.
(over)