(Songzhuang, Beijing) Government officials closed Jinweizi learning center, a church-affiliated school located in Beijing. They ordered the school to move out in September, but now the school has been closed. More than 100 students lost the opportunity to continue their education at their beloved school.
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| Children in Jinweizi Learning Center, preparing a school play (Photo: ChinaAid source) |
Jinweizi, translated “golden reed,” Learning
Center is a school founded by Golden Lamp Stand Christian Church in
Beijing. The school mainly served Christian families trying to escape
government-mandated public school, but because of its loving environment, many
children with autism and other special needs also attended. These children were
usually discriminated against and rejected by public schools.
The school operated smoothly for
many years. Jinweizi had a wide range of grade levels, ranging from Pre-K
through junior high. With comprehensive educational facilities and equipment,
the school was home to more than 100 students. Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
officials confiscated the school’s expensive equipment and effectively stripped
the students of any opportunity to continue their education.
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| Students and teachers participate in a Christmas party (Photo: ChinaAid source) |
Private schools in China are not like most in America. Instead of a traditional campus, these students meet in apartments, office spaces, or any available venues. Teachers and faculty rent properties for months at a time, until the government intervenes. Many schools, like Maizi and Xuan De, are considered “illegal schools” because they detach themselves from
the communist-controlled public schools.
~John Ma,
China Aid Special Reporter