In a groundbreaking move blending urban education with rural traditions, students from the Yongxing Road No. 2 Primary School were seen donning straw hats, knee-deep in mud, and planting rice seedlings barefoot on the campus.
In the recently-launched initiative, "Dreams of Rice," the school transformed a corner of its campus into a rice cultivation practice field.
Forty-eight students became the first batch of "little farmers."
Ahead of the planting exercise, they learned about rice types, ideal growing conditions, and how rice grows. They then waded into the half-acre rice field and experienced the age-old ritual of transplanting rice.
Two years ago, the school converted an unused space into a 2,000-square-meter garden where students are able to grow various fruits, vegetables and medicinal herbs.
Principal Zhao Weiqiu said the vision behind the initiative was emphasizing its educational value in connecting students with the land and the laborious process of rice cultivation.
"We want students to feel the warmth of the soil under their feet, understand the hard work that goes into each grain of rice, and gain invaluable knowledge beyond textbooks," Zhao said. (Source:Shanghai Daily)
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