A scheme aiming to educate rural young people so
that they can help develop their home villages is apparently
experiencing difficulties, as the great majority of its graduates
in the northern province of Hebei have been unable to find work in
their local areas as planned.
At least 90 percent of the “one college student for
each village” project’s first batch of 201 students who graduated
from the Agricultural Development College (ADC) in July have not
found local farming jobs.
An ADC investigation found that another 20 percent
were working in cities, whilst the rest are unemployed. The college
is affiliated to Hebei
Agricultural University, which designed and piloted the
initiative.
Under the terms of their two-year training,
targeting those who have failed college entrance examinations and
ex-servicemen and women, graduates from the scheme are not supposed
to seek work outside their home counties for five years after
completing the course.
Through their involvement in local agriculture,
they would then help and guide farmers in developing farming in
their area.
Pang Xiaofang is still unemployed in Cixian County
after graduating from ADC in July: “I still have not found anything
suitable for me to do in my village although I spent over 10,000
yuan (about US$1,238) for the two years of study.”
She said that in October the county agricultural
bureau called together all 13 of the project’s graduates living
there to reiterate that they were only allowed to look for
employment in the local area for the next five years.
Those who had still not found suitable work were
encouraged to run stores selling agricultural equipment.
But Pang said it would cost several 10,000 yuan (about US$1,238) to
open such a store, which she could not finance and which local
banks were unwilling to lend to her.
Li Da, another ADC graduate, said, “Chinese yams are expected to be
popular in years to come. But I have to spend about 100,000 yuan
(about US$12,380) if I plant them. It is impossible for me to get
this sum of money without bank loans.”
“Students can earn at least 800-1,000 yuan (about
US$99-US$1,238) a month if they work in cities,” said Wang
Chunfeng, director of the Technique Station of Daming County’s
agricultural bureau.
“Governments do not have much energy and time to
bring suits against students if they break their contracts,” Wang
said, adding that governments do not even know where students are
if they look for jobs outside their own county.
ADC Vice President Zhang Yuchun said the college
had no role in finding graduates employment, and the college
suggested local governments could appoint them as assistant
directors of village committees and even promote them to township
leaders if they made outstanding achievements.
Jiang Haikui, director of Huailai County’s
Agricultural Affairs Committee, said “it is difficult to give these
graduates special treatment when many students graduating from
regular universities also face difficulties finding jobs after
graduation.”
The Ministry of Education extended the “one college
student for each village” scheme across the country last year using
distant learning technology to give access to those who want to
remain available for work on their farms whilst studying.
But the ADC expressed concerns that teaching
methods may be inconsistent and the quality of education
patchy.
(China.org.cn by Unisumoon December 19, 2005)