Tuesday, 20 November 2007

Can you stay in the gorgeous building with a good conscience ?

Yangzhuang primary school, in Yingquan District of Anhui Province, China, applied for international aid funds. Teaching building of the school seemed to be dilapidated, while the local government house is magnificent. The phenomenon seems to be very ridiculous and shocked, at least, in my opinion. (Nanfang Metropolis Newspaper 4th Nov 2007)

Japanese Mr. Shuiguzhun, a staff of Japanese aid organization, coming to do a field survey, surprisingly found the vast differences between the two buildings (primary school teaching building and local government house). He doubted that why government lavished so much money to build such a splendid building, while the primary school teaching building looked like “ruin”, although, the Japanese organization finally approved of allocating supporting funds to the school. But this survey was put on a Japanese newspaper. Chinese shame, isn't it? Treating pupils as this way, really unbearable.

It is universally acknowledged that Japan is generous to education. The most beautiful building you can see in countryside is absolutely a school teaching building, because the Japan education funds take up 6% of its national income, ranking 1st in the world. After world war Ⅱ, controlling consuming, saving money for education became their basic national policy. So how could Mr. Shuiguzhun understand?

Chinese either. Though local government “quibbled”, construction of government house was legitimate, and they didn’t spend a penny of public finance. Meanwhile the hardware facilities of school were provided by country, which wasn’t local government’s responsibility. Also they said the government of Yingquan District was too impoverished to afford it.

How paradoxical! How dare you stay in a well-decorated, full-appointed office, but take no notice to the school in such a tough condition only 10 km far away. Compulsory education should be one of the significant issues that government concerns. Don’t you feel ashamed of using others money to rebuild the school, and you, enjoy the “sinful” comfortable, and disregarded totally!

Shabby school, and the grand government house, being put together, it is self-evident. The more the government explained the more embarrassed. That's enough of your cheek!

It’s not a single phenomenon. Frankly speaking, I witnessed the same situation in my hometown. Beside my mother’s old house there was a school, with a klunky building and simple and crude equipment. However it’s the only one primary school for children in that village, while government there loves fireworks. When festival, the night sky is gorgeous, shining the frazzle, below.