I want to honor a hero who has done so much to help others, even to the point of putting himself at risk. This man is a hero in more ways than one. One of the things that make him a hero is that he is the principal of a migrant school in China. I’ll give you some background on what a huge deal that is.
Because of the changing economy in China, some interesting things have happened: Many people are moving to the large cities in China for employment. Among this exodus of people are many young couples who are leaving farms for the big cities in hopes of bettering themselves financially. Unfortunately, many of these young couples have to leave their child with their parents to raise while they try to earn enough money to support themselves, their child, and their parents. Other couples choose to bring their child with them, but that leads to problems concerning the child’s education.
It wouldn’t be true if I said that I understood everything involved with registering a child for school in China, but I will share with you what I have been told.
To go to school, a child must be registered. So first, the child needs a registration card. Sometimes, it can be very difficult for minorities and orphans to receive the registration, and that can cause them many problems throughout their lives. Also, a child will probably be denied enrollment at a school of the parents’ choice if the child’s registration is already at a different school. This very situation made it difficult for migrant workers’ children to have access to city schools since they had been registered in a different area of the country. Seeing how so many migrant workers’ children were being denied access to an education, the hero I’m writing about decided to do something about it! He started a school for migrant workers’ children, and the school and the students are thriving! That is an impressive accomplishment, but his story doesn’t end there.
As he returned home one day, he saw his home engulfed in flames, and he knew that his wife and child were inside. At great risk to himself, he tried to rescue them, and was burned badly in his attempt.
I have a great amount of respect for this man. I won’t show you his face because he wouldn’t want me to do that, but knowing his stories makes me pause and ask myself, “Would I have the courage to face such incredible challenges as this man has and be a hero?” As I celebrate Global Partners in Life’s 10th anniversary, I also want to pay tribute to this fine educator and hero.
Beau
How to Get Lessons from China
Lessons from China: A Westerner’s Cultural Education is now available as a paperback and as an e-book on Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook!
You can buy Lessons from China on Amazon.com, Smile.Amazon.com (to donate a portion of the sale to Global Partners in Life), bn.com, and in Barnes and Noble stores and a variety of other bookstores and online booksellers.
Note: If you don’t see the book on the shelf at your local bookstore, just ask the sales clerk to order it for you. The booksellers are eager to accommodate you, whenever possible. Independent bookstores can order the book through Bookmasters.
