Chongqing — Students from Pulian Town Central Primary School in Wuxi County have won a national first prize at the 2026 China Youth Electronic & Information Literacy Contest, demonstrating their drone piloting and programming skills despite limited training space and equipment.

Students practice operating a drone during a drone technology club session at Pulian Town Central Primary School in Wuxi County. (Photo/School)

The contest results were recently announced, and students earned an award in the Grades 4-6 division of the Aerial Rescue event in the Unmanned Systems Control competition.

Nestled in Wuxi County, the school sits among rolling hills and farmland. Inside a third-floor classroom on the afternoon of Oct. 8, several students gathered around a computer to fine-tune their programs.

“Lower the altitude a little more,” a teacher instructed as a drone rose slowly into the air and maneuvered between obstacles. Liu Lei, an instructor with the school’s drone technology club, watched the data on a screen and reminded students to adjust the settings.

Without a dedicated training ground or advanced equipment, the students had little room to maneuver. Even a small miscalculation could send the drone into an obstacle. They adapted by making the most of the classroom layout, repeatedly adjusting flight altitude, direction, and speed to improve precision through successive takeoffs, landings, and obstacle-avoidance drills.

Students attend a drone technology club session at Pulian Town Central Primary School in Wuxi County. (Photo/School)

The school established its drone technology club in September 2025 with just four students, one instructor, four standard drones and four aging computers.

“I was learning online while teaching the students,” Liu Lei recalled.

The club has since grown to nine regular members, supported by four school-based instructors and an external technology expert.

All five students who competed this year started with no prior experience. Liu and two other instructors divided responsibilities according to their expertise. Liu handled equipment setup and flight training; teacher Xiong Weibin focused on programming and debugging; and teacher Pang Tianyan oversaw simulation exercises, training records, and psychological support.

In the run-up to the competition, students devoted their spare time and weekends to learning programming and fine-tuning their equipment. When errors arose, they checked the code line by line; when a drone strayed from its intended course, they adjusted the parameters and tried again. Through repeated practice, the team gradually developed its own training methods, Liu explained.

At the Chongqing regional competition, students Ran Huangxiang and Zheng Zhou each won first prizes, securing places in the national finals. Three other team members received third prizes.

Reaching the national finals spurred the qualifiers to train even harder. Ran repeatedly practiced individual maneuvers and flight paths until he could execute them consistently.

His persistence paid off: He won the national first prize in the Grades 4-6 division of the Aerial Rescue event in the Unmanned Systems Control competition.

“I was so excited that I cried when I saw the results,” Ran recalled. The experience taught him that programming and drone piloting demand patience, perseverance, and technical skills.

For Liu Hui, the school’s principal, the students’ achievement reflects the potential of science and technology education in rural communities.

“Children in the mountains are already familiar with drones. Applications such as agricultural work and aerial photography give them a natural connection to the technology,” he said.

Unlike some science and technology projects that require substantial investment, drone programming can be introduced with relatively manageable space and equipment needs, making it a practical option for rural schools, Liu Hui added.

“Children in the mountains should have more than mountains and fields, and education should not have to wait until every condition is in place before it begins.”

Ultimately, the school values what students gain through the learning process more than competition results alone. The principal said that tackling practical challenges helps students broaden their horizons, recognize their abilities, and discover interests and goals that can guide their future development.