Kindergartens take a high-class approach

For many children in the remote Qumarleb county of Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Northwest China's Qinghai province, preschool learning was a luxury.

Located in the source region of the Yellow River, the county has an average altitude of more than 4,500 meters and a population of 47,000.

With parents traveling to graze herds for months at a time, these nomadic children for many years faced difficulties going to school, especially kindergarten.

The situation changed last year, when conglomerate China Energy Corp, also known as CHN Energy, invested 13.5 million yuan ($1.85 million) into a kindergarten project.

Using shipping containers, 15 kindergartens have been constructed in six villages and towns in the county. Each school can accommodate 30 students.

"All the classrooms have heating and lighting powered by photovoltaic systems," Dong Zhu, vice-head of Qumarleb county, says, adding that the locations of the kindergartens are selected in accordance with the winter and summer pastures and pastoral migration routes.

So far, more than 700 children are enrolled at these kindergartens.

Tsering Dradul, deputy principal of one of the kindergartens, is glad to see the students enjoying their time at school.

Before his kindergarten had a classroom last year, he and the teachers had to teach children in makeshift tents.