New campus brings students back to hometown

A newly built campus and dormitory at Xifeng No 3 Middle School in Xiaozhaiba township, Xifeng county, are helping attract students back to the area. The school now operates 27 classes and serves more than 1,400 teachers and students, as enrollment that had previously shifted elsewhere begins to return.

Students of Xifeng No 3 Middle School exercise outdoors on a new sports field in front of a new teaching building. [Photo/xifeng.gov.cn]

"Ever since construction began, I have often stood on my rooftop looking toward the school," said Chen Daming, a villager from Shangzhai village in Xiaozhaiba township. "When the campus is finished, and my grandson can study there without needing to cross the railway tracks to attend another school on the other side, it will be much safer."

The Xifeng county education bureau has upgraded facilities based on the needs of students and teachers, further improving the school's educational environment. The cafeteria has been expanded from one floor to two, while all dormitories have been redesigned into six-person rooms equipped with private bathrooms and air-source water heating systems.

Classroom space has increased from 42 to 72 square meters, with smart teaching systems, laboratories, and storage facilities added. The school also features a new gymnasium capable of accommodating 2,000 people and a standardized sports ground covering more than 17,000 square meters.

Students attend a chemistry class in the new classroom. [Photo/xifeng.gov.cn]

"In the past, many parents moved to the county seat or rented apartments there, so their children could attend better schools, which was costly," said Wang Fuqin, a parent from Xiaozhaiba. "Now, with such a good school close to home, families can save more than 10,000 yuan ($1,474) a year on rent and living expenses while staying in their hometown to develop the local grape industry and increase their income."