Chongqing - Liu Shanshan, a member of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Vice Principal of Jinzhou Primary School in Liangjiang New Area, has consistently focused on addressing educational disparities and advancing the balanced development of education.

Liu Shanshan is a member of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Vice Principal of Jinzhou Primary School in Liangjiang New Area. (Photo/Liu Shanshan)

Throughout her extensive teaching career, Liu has become increasingly aware of the need to address the imbalance between urban and rural education. She emphasized, “Only when these challenges and disparities are seen and understood can we begin to find effective solutions and improve the situation."

Liu spent two years teaching in Dashun Town, Fuling District, Chongqing, where she worked closely with many left-behind children. These children, commonly found in rural parts of China, are separated from their parents due to the parents' migration for work and are typically raised by grandparents or other relatives.

This experience deepened her understanding of the educational gap between urban and rural areas, which led to her commitment to promoting balanced educational development.

"Most of the students at the school come from surrounding villages, and if families need it, students can begin lodging from the first grade," she recalled. Many of the students in her class were left-behind children who lodged at the school, only returning home once a week on average.

During home visits, Liu discovered that one of her students was living with their grandmother due to housing issues. There was limited space for both family members. To help, Liu contacted the government and several entrepreneurs, successfully securing student housing.

In recent years, Liu has conducted extensive research on achieving balanced educational development and offered several practical recommendations. She emphasized that the issue goes beyond the gap between urban and rural areas, extending to disparities between towns, villages, schools, and even families. 

Liu Shanshan (in the middle) reads with students. (Photo/Liu Shanshan)

Regarding the issue of fee standards for public kindergarten care and education in all districts and counties of Chongqing, Liu proposed improving the tiered fee policy for public kindergartens. Given the urban-rural disparity in Chongqing, she suggested setting different fee guidelines and price limits based on the actual conditions of different regions.

Liu also suggested establishing a dynamic adjustment mechanism for public kindergarten fees based on Chongqing's per capita disposable income growth rate. She further proposed that each district and county in Chongqing should categorize and set region-specific policies, with each kindergarten having its own fee standards, thereby improving the protection system.

Regarding the differences between regions and schools in the curriculum, Liu emphasized the importance of consulting schools and teachers to understand their needs and organizing targeted training based on the actual requirements of teachers and schools.