From Beijing to South China Sea: A 2,600-kilometer 'cloud classroom'

This year's government work report emphasizes the need to promote high-quality, well-balanced development of compulsory education.

At Yongxing School in Sansha, south China's Hainan Province – the country's southernmost city – real-time online classes have enabled high-quality education to overcome geographical barriers and become a reality for the local students.

The distance between Beijing and Yongxing Island is 2,600 kilometers, which takes more than four hours by plane.

Now, with real-time online classes, students can access quality education from Beijing and other top schools. This initiative also helps address teacher shortages and fosters professional exchanges between educators in both places.

Wang Jin, a music teacher from the Experimental Primary School of Beijing Normal University, teaches students of Yongxing School via the internet.

"In 2019, our school signed a collaborative development agreement with Yongxing School. Moving forward, we will deepen cooperation and strengthen exchanges," she said, adding that the school will continue to send teachers to Sansha for on-site teaching activities.

"Since October 2022, we have conducted 155 remote learning sessions," said Guo Xing, principal of Yongxing School, adding that the school has also established collaborative partnerships with educational institutions beyond Hainan to further expand resource access.

Through digital empowerment, children in remote areas can overcome geographical limitations and share premium educational resources through "cloud classrooms," turning the vision of educational equity into a tangible reality.