Cooperation is key

As a principal, the biggest headache is seeing top-quality teachers moving away. After reflecting on the way out of difficulty for rural schools, Yang found answers from Tao Xingzhi's education thoughts: cooperate and open up.

From 1991, they cooperated with Nanjing Xiaozhuang Normal School, made Xingzhi primary school an affiliated school and set up a teacher's training base. They cooperated with adult education authorities and set up a night school for villagers to teach them knowledge and farming techniques.

They opened an experimental farm with support from related departments and the village. In 1994, the school cooperated with Nanjing Science and Tech Activities Foundation for primary and middle school students, and turned the farm into the first education base in Nanjing for urban students to learn about the technology and development in the countryside and experience country life. At the education base, students can grow plants, pick cotton, prepare tea and make paper.

The education base later became the designated base for more than 20 primary and middle schools in Nanjing. In 2005, the Nanjing municipal government allocated 200 mu (about 133,333 square meters) of land and invested 130 million yuan to develop the education base into a key base in Jiangsu province.

As of 2018, the education base has received nearly 360,000 domestic students and teachers to experience country life and more than 10,000 foreign students and teachers to experience Chinese culture.

This cooperation rocketed the school into a fast and sustainable development path. During the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) period, the school got an investment of 12 million yuan and built a modern school building. The area of the school was expanded to 80 mu from the original 8 mu, and a garden and an orchard measuring 800 mu was created beside the school. The surrounding five elementary schools were merged into Xingzhi primary school.

During the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) period, the school got 120 million yuan in investment from the government and expanded the education base, establishing Xingzhi middle school and kindergarten. A village school has turned into a modern school for rural students, a lifelong learning place for villagers and a country garden for urban students.

Under Yang's leadership, a number of teachers went to the village school with their passion for education and villages. Xingzhi primary school was given the title of a model school.

Yang has won many awards, from a model worker in the education field to national advanced worker, and has toured many places to report on his education explorations. He has been extensively profiled by newspapers and TV stations. But he still considers himself a rural teacher, striving to provide quality education to students.