Xinjiang students benefit from program
Print Edition
COMPETITION to get into one of China’s top boarding schools is so fierce that one student refused to drop out for fear of losing her place, despite breaking her leg.
Tajinitsa is 1,000 kilometers from her hometown of Kashgar, a city in the south of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, but studies at No. 66 School in Urumqi, the regional capital.
The eighth-grader is among a number of children from the impoverished areas of Xinjiang to benefit from a program that allows them to attend top junior high schools.
Studying at top junior high schools prepares students for senior high schools throughout the nation.
“It is very difficult to get accepted for No. 66, because it is one of the best schools in the city. Studying here makes it easier to get into China’s top universities,” said Tajinitsa. “Last semester, I broke my leg. My father wanted me to return to Kashgar. But I said no, I couldn’t attend a mediocre school now.”
In 2016, out of 10,600 students who entered the program, 90 percent were from ethnic minority groups.
The school, established in 2004, has over 2,200 students at No. 66 who will compete to get into secondary schools in over 17 cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
A total of 30 Xinjiang schools host the program. “Their students have better chances to get into the top universities in China, like Peking and Tsinghua,” said Qu Mingcai, principal of No. 66.
The central government funds the program, including lodging, meals, stationary, tuition, and transport between home and school, and costs 8,000 yuan (US$1,160) per student per year.
“There is fierce competition to get accepted. Students must have high grades and be extremely motivated,” said Qu.
“Many graduates are engineers, doctors, or public servants. One of our alumni just told me he was accepted into Beihang University,” said Zhang Hua, the school’s Communist Party secretary.
Bridging ethnic and language differences is one of the main tasks of the school, which includes students from 13 different ethnic groups.
Many ethnic Uygur, Kazakh and Kyrgyz students arrive at the school speaking little Mandarin Chinese. Luckily No. 66 has crash courses in Mandarin for first-year students.
“Most classes, such as maths and sciences, are taught in Mandarin to better prepare children for future exams,” said Qu. The school also teaches English and has classes on Uygur language and culture.
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