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Zhang SiqiAn 8-year-old Chinese girl who was the only student left in her school.
Country:
 China |
Content:
- A Biography of Zhang Sycy
- A Unique Learning Experience
- Overcoming Challenges
- A Supportive Family
- A Changing Landscape
A Biography of Zhang Sycy
Zhang Sycy, an 8-year-old girl from a rural district in China, is the only student left in her school. The village residents have all left in search of better opportunities in the city, leaving many other rural schools empty as well. Zhang attends the Nanou School in the southeastern province of Fujian, where her teacher Zhang Wanjia follows the national curriculum. Despite being the only student, Zhang still receives a comprehensive education and has even learned to play basketball.
A Unique Learning Experience
In this quiet classroom, Zhang is fully engaged in her studies without any distractions. Her situation resembles home schooling, which many parents dream of for their children. However, even when flourishing villages turned into ghost towns, Zhang's teacher did not visit her at home. Instead, they continued with the regular program. In 2009, after a mass exodus from the area, there were no registered students left. The school closed and remained vacant until 2011 when 7-year-old Zhang Sycy joined.
Overcoming Challenges
Zhang was born with a missing spinal disc, and her family needed significant support to cope with her spinal cord impairment. The local school was seen as the best choice for Zhang as it was conveniently located near her home. Today, she attends classes every day and once a week joins her teacher for the flag-raising ceremony in the schoolyard, where they sing the national anthem. Zhang's teacher, Zhang Wanjia, who has 35 years of teaching experience, admits that the situation seems simple but actually involves loneliness and longing. He says, "When I am alone in the classroom, I have no one to chat with."
A Supportive Family
Zhang's mother works as a migrant worker in the city of Zhangzhou, while her grandmother and grandfather work in a local tea plantation. The 76-year-old grandmother mentions that Zhang often interferes with her work, saying she is too old and it is dangerous for her to work outside. Zhang's family provides her with the necessary support and encouragement to continue her education.
A Changing Landscape
The story of 8-year-old Yang Hu from Fujian province was also recently highlighted. Two years ago, his school had 80 students, but the number sharply dropped to 17 within a year. Now, in a three-story building designed to accommodate 24 classes, Yang is the only student left. His teacher comments that Yang is a good student, and he himself feels less pressure as a teacher. Interestingly, each student is free to choose whether to continue their education or leave school to join their parents in search of work.
Overall, it is expected that the trend of migration to cities may soon reverse, and these schools may have new classmates in the near future. For now, there are still several schools in China facing similar situations, where they work for the education of the only registered student in the entire district.
