Media Center

©UNICEF/China/2009/Xu Xin Children wash their hands after using latrines. UNICEF has helped built handwashing facilities and sanitary latrines in some of the Child Friendly Schools in Sanjiang County.

Sanjiang County, Guangxi Province, June 2009 - - "That teacher's lectures are boring." "I think we should start up a dance class." "We should plant more trees in the school compound." "Thank you for welcoming me to the school!"

These are the latest topics being discussed on the 'My Voice' bulletin(pictured left) at Doujiang Primary School in Sanjiang County, Guangxi Province. The bulletin is a blackboard on the wall of the second floor where students can post and read letters on issues of their concern.        

One student who frequently reads the bulletin is 14-year-old Tan Long. "The teacher mentioned in that first letter is my teacher. I agree we get bored in his lessons but since this letter appeared, he has been improving. We all see his efforts," Tan Long said.

"We are not afraid of leaving our names on the letters because the teachers are very kind and our opinions are effectively making changes," the fifth-grader said.

©UNICEF/China/2009/Xu Xin UNICEF-provided sports kits are managed by the students themselves at Doujiang Primary School.A child-centred school

What might have once seemed rebellious or a challenge to the teacher-centred school management style has become quite normal in the 50 primary schools in Sanjiang County, Guangxi Province receiving UNICEF's support in implementing Child Friendly education.

"We used to assume that children are just children, they know little," Wu Xiuqiong, a tutor with the County Teachers Training School said. "But after we adopted the Child Friendly approaches and gave them chances to express their opinions, we were surprised to find how creative and talented they were."

The approaches advocate for respecting children's rights and stimulating their role as active learners.

In 2001, UNICEF began working with the Provincial Education Department and local counterparts to introduce Child Friendly approaches to 10 schools in the County. The project was subsequently expanded to another 40 schools, resulting in a total of 50 schools in the 2006-2010 programme cycle.

New Classroom Culture

©UNICEF/China/2009/Xu Xin A student receives applauds from his peers after giving a presentation.

After receiving training from the County Teachers Training School on child-centred learning and teaching in the classroom, the teachers stopped insulting and physically punishing the children. Instead, they used encouragement to improve children's performance.

In Bajiang Primary School, teacher Yang Qiaolan and her colleagues sought inputs from the students to understand what they wanted to hear from them.

"We found ourselves running out of words to encourage the children. We didn't want to just say things like 'you are great' or 'you are excellent' repeatedly in the classrooms. So we solicited advice from the children themselves and let them tell us what makes them feel motivated," Teacher Yang recalled. "The children also told us that they liked to see us walking into the classroom with smiles instead of being stone-faced. So the teachers are now consciously making these choices to better serve students."

©UNICEF/China/2009/Xu Xin Children raise their hands to express their opinions on what they've learned.

Rote learning has been replaced with group discussions, active debate, and a fun, interactive classroom, creating a new educational environment.

"The children are guided by the teacher to visualize, hear, smell and read during class. Teachers are helping children to explore, instead of rigidly telling the answers and urging them to memorize information to pass exams," Teacher Yang said.

©UNICEF/China/2009/Xu Xin Students discuss in small groups to explore the answers to their questions.

"I speak my thoughts as they come to my mind," fourth-grader Wu Bisong, aged 11, said. "I am not afraid that the teacher will say I am wrong, or that my classmates will laugh at me. I am not afraid of sharing my thoughts in class. Actually, I am quite excited when all of them applaud for me."

"One of the most visible changes is that the children become more confident in expressing themselves," Wu Xiuqiong observed. She has been working to monitor the programme and train teachers since 2001. "We now see that confidence is one of the key factors for children's success in the future."

©UNICEF/China/2009/Xu Xin Children cheer for their victory in a tug-of-war game