Dahua fights poverty through education improvements

Dahua Yao autonomous county in Hechi has paid close attention to education in recent years, striving to ensure that all school-age children receive compulsory education. According to statistics, the county has successfully persuaded the return of 1,976 students who did not return to school on time.

From 2018 to 2020, the compulsory education consolidation rate was 90.66 percent, 94 percent, and 98.42 percent respectively, bolstering the opportunities for impoverished families to be lifted out of poverty and increase their incomes.

Dahua has vigorously publicized compulsory education and minor education laws, explained education policies to relieve parents' worries and encourage rural children, as well as strengthened dynamic monitoring to curb student dropouts.

Educational projects have been constructed to promote the balanced development of compulsory education and to help children in impoverished mountainous areas enjoy modern educational resources. From 2016 to 2020, the county implemented 633 compulsory education construction projects, such as the renovation of rural compulsory schools, as well as the maintenance and renovation of rural primary and secondary schools, with a total investment of 715 million yuan ($108.71 million).

From 2016 to 2020, the county recruited a total of 751 teachers, bolstering the strength of its primary and secondary school teachers, while living allowances and work subsidies for rural teachers were implemented to improve the enthusiasm and initiative of rural teachers, promoting the improvement of teaching quality throughout the county.

A total of 383,900 students with financial difficulties enrolled in rural compulsory education programs received 208 million yuan in living allowances from 2016 to 2020, while 347,000 students benefited from the nutritional improvement program, with the subsidy amount reaching 181 million yuan.

In addition, Dahua established an expert committee to evaluate 691 school-age disabled children and adolescents, as well as to promote various education models according to their specific needs. The education coverage for children and adolescents with disabilities has increased and the quality of special education has also improved.