Thanks to an ongoing educational cooperation program with Fujian province, a vocational school in Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, has seen marked improvements in teacher quality, student performance, and graduate employment. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Thanks to an ongoing educational cooperation program with Fujian province, a vocational school in Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, has seen marked improvements in teacher quality, student performance, and graduate employment.

Since August 2022, the Hongsibu District Vocational and Technical School has been paired with the Quanzhou Huaqiao Vocational Secondary School in Fujian. The partnership has focused on expanding specialized programs and pooling educational resources from both regions.

To date, the Ningxia school has sent over 150 teachers to Fujian for on-site training and work-based learning. "The annual programs offer invaluable learning opportunities," said Tian Junfeng, a mathematics teacher who is preparing for her fourth training trip to Fujian. She added that her studies have included teaching design, lesson plan writing, and the preparation of implementation reports, with a focus on skills competitions and teaching improvement.

Thanks to an ongoing educational cooperation program with Fujian province, a vocational school in Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, has seen marked improvements in teacher quality, student performance, and graduate employment. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Student achievements have also risen sharply, according to the school. In the past two years, the school has participated in one national competition and 98 regional competitions, through which it took home awards for the first time.

Four students majoring in early-childhood education won first prize at the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Vocational College Skills Competition (Secondary Vocational Group). They credited their success to the joint guidance of Fujian-based instructors and their local teachers.

The school's first national award came at the World Vocational College Skills Competition Finals in 2024, where it earned bronze. It won another bronze the next year.

The school also reports success among its students post-graduation. The school's graduates show a higher education admission rate of 98 percent. Their graduate employment rate has risen above 96 percent, with 60 percent of graduates choosing to work in their hometown.