In a learning aid program, several Pakistani students in China met online with the primary and secondary school students in a once-impoverished county in southwestern China.
According to a Gwadar Pro’s report, the introductory session held last week was part of a study assistance program organised by the Silk Road School (SRS) of Renmin University of China (RUC) in a bid to help children at a minority community in Yunan Province learn English and to consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation.
“The fun element for me in that session was the struggle of the kids despite having pronunciation problem. Some kids were too shy to speak”, said Maria Nazeer, a Pakistani participant admitted to the School in 2019.
Teachers from the recipient schools welcome such assistance. “Students can truly feel the charm of this international language by talking with foreign speakers”, acclaimed Li Mei from the Yingpan Middle School.
For long, lack of native speakers as English teachers and chances to communicate in English in real-life scenario has been constraining students’ foreign language competence in these remote regions. By pooling the resources of students from the “Silk Road” countries and university teachers, the young English learners are motivated to put what they’ve learned into practice, and Pakistani students have an opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding towards China.
Education programs constitute a critical part of China’s poverty alleviation endeavors. Behind it is the Chinese philosophy that to become better off, one should not only enrich his wallet, but also his mind. Now China has won the final battle against extreme poverty, but efforts for people’s all-round development have not ceased.
Maria Nazeer echoes with that idea. “I believe that if a nation is educated enough, then it does not see poverty as a big issue, rather it cultivates its ways towards progress by the knowledge and skills that it has.”
RUC SRS intends to form long-terms ties with the Yingpan Middle School and Biyuhe Primary School aided by distant teaching devices. “SRS provided us an opportunity to volunteer for Chinese kids and help them in improving their English language. So far, it was only one session based on introduction class but I am looking forward to having more of it”, said Maira Nazeer, adding that she is willing to assist the students as far as she could.
The Silk Road School (SRS) of Renmin University of China(RUC), established in 2018, mainly cultivates master’s students from countries and regions along BRI. Maria Nazeer enrolled on the program attracted by its courses and opportunities to learn more about China. Lectures and various field studies provided by the School have allowed her to acquire first-hand knowledge on the country’s history, dynamics, social norms and governing philosophy.
Having been exposed to a variety of cultures, she is ready to practice kindness to all the humans irrespective of their physical appearances or nationalities. “I intend to give back to society what it has given me so far by serving it through any legit means – be it a volunteer work or any random acts of kindness and I am sure about it.” Participants of the first session also include students from Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ghana, Serbia, Ireland, Liberia, the United States, Cameroon, Sri Lanka, and Italy.
