So, those familiar with the blog will know about Beitang Primary School. It’s the primary school that I teach at when I’m not teaching at Aston. Chinese primary schools are very different to their western counter parts. Firstly as the left-most photo shows. There are a lot of students. A lot. Each grade has 7-8 classes. Each class has 60-70 students. And that’s “small” class-sizes. Beitang is one of the best primary schools, it’s “proud” of that class size. Anyway, there are 6 grades in primary school, so conservatively thats 6*7*60 … more than 2,500 students! My primary school (Hayes Meadow Primary School, represent!) had around 200 students! The other two pictures also highlight differences, read on for more…

The central photo above shows perfectly another difference: The patriotic environment. Every morning the elite students who make up the “flag guard” march out in unison into the square to raise the flag. While the flag is being raised the national anthem rings out over the school’s PA system and all 2,500 students face the direction of the flag and salute. Also, those red neckerchiefs? They’re not just to look pretty. That’s a symbol of being a Young Pioneer. A young member of the Communist member of China. The above rightmost image displays another difference. Compulsory morning exercises. That’s right, every day (weather permitting) all the kids go outside for their morning exercises together. They are done to pre-recorded songs and pre-rehearsed moves… a video would help a lot more, so scroll down to see the short video I captured!

The Honour Guard marches out to music as all the other students look on.

Raises the flag.

Then marches back in.

Exercises time!

  
Some of my students picked out from the crowd. What’s that you say? They’re wearing green scarfs, not red! Ah, yes. When you’re a first grader, you’re technically not old enough (6yrs old) to be a young pioneer, so you get a green neckerchief instead. If you do a good job at looking after that, then at the end of the first grade, you can progress to having the real deal. Lucky!

Then this is the reason I actually took my camera in that day. The lesson was entitled “Family Photo” so after we’d read the story, I goof’d around with the kids posing for family photos. It takes a loooong time with 60 kids in a class!

And finally, the short video. It’s no masterpiece, but it gets the idea across. Also, this is just one of the squares. This square is mostly first graders (note the green neckerchiefs.) There are five other grades spread out around the other sides of the school, all doing the same thing! Impressive? Oh, yes!

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