Principal transforms rural school with sports

With the strong support of the school, students have at least 2.5 hours allotted every day for physical activities. Among the 469 students of the school, only six wear glasses — a remarkably low rate of myopia. Also, by participating in various sports competitions, the students learned how to deal with successes and frustrations properly.

By integrating sports into their daily school life, Wu said the school has the responsibility to balance physical activities with studies while students are required to prioritize completing their academic tasks first. "Allowing the students to participate in sports that they enjoy is not necessarily a bad thing for their academic performance and the development of the school," Wu was quoted as saying by a Xinhua News Agency report.

According to the report, the school's average scores have risen from below 30 in 2004 to over 80 in 2023. Sports offered the students another way out of the mountains. More than 100 graduates of the school have entered middle schools as sports-focused students.

Wu hopes that the happy memories the students share in the school will help graduates feel more bonded with their hometown, and their departure will serve as a prelude to their homecoming after becoming better persons.