Huzhou Online News Network 2004.01.0513:12
Wufeng Private School in Pingjiang County, Yueyang City, the last private school in Hunan Province, was officially closed recently. Zhu Zhizhong, an old gentleman in a private school, gave his students the last lesson and announced that he would "close the school and abandon teaching".
According to the research of relevant departments, some private schools in remote areas of Pingjiang County are the last batch of private schools in China. But in recent years, with the death of the old gentleman who was engaged in private school teaching, only Zhu Zhizhong was left to run a private school in the local area. 83-year-old Professor Zhu Zhizhong studied ancient books for 42 years, except for a period of forced labor.
Li Yazhou of Pingjiang Education Bureau believes that the economic development and the increase of information exchange with the outside world in Pingjiang County in recent years are the important reasons for the disappearance of private schools. At present, almost every village in Pingjiang County has access to highways, and nine-year compulsory education has been popularized. The opportunities for junior and senior high school students to further their studies have greatly increased, and young farmers often go out to work, which has cut off the road for the development of private schools from the source of students.
Wu, director of Pingjiang County Private Education Office, believes that the existence of private schools has played a positive role in inheriting traditional culture and maintaining good social atmosphere, but it is a defect in cultivating modern civic awareness and disseminating scientific and technological knowledge.
Wu, director of Pingjiang County Private Education Office, said that in view of local customs and the positive significance of private schools, Pingjiang County will build an ancient prose school to maintain traditional culture and local fine social customs. This school will be an amateur school, which may take the form of evening classes or holidays.
Source: Beijing Daily