On 3rd December 2013, a strategic cooperation agreement was officially signed at the activity site for “Hebei: An Act of Kindness for a Harmonious and Prosperous Society” an exhibit at the 2013 International Disabled Persons Day festivities co-sponsored by Hebei RTVU and the Hebei Disabled Persons’ Federation (HDPF). The agreement announced the joint establishment of the Hebei RTVU School for the Disabled which marked the formal initiation of the distance education project for people with disability in Hebei.
Leaders in attendance included Ma Lancui, Deputy Director of the Hebei People’s Congress Standing Committee and Honorary Vice President of HDPF; Yin Yali, Assistant Governor and President of HDPF; Chang Lihong, Chairman of HDPF; Guo Yan, Deputy chairman; Liu Xiaopin, Party Committee Secretary of Hebei RTVU; Dong Zhaowei, President of Hebei RTVU and Zhao Jianhua, Vice president, as well as other prominent dignitaries.
Depending on the advantages in educational resources and organizing advantages of the HDPF system, the Hebei RTVU School for the Disabled will exert its role in modern information technology by carrying out intermediate and advanced degree education and vocational skills training for people with disability, through distance and online education. The school’s education management will be organized and implemented by Hebei RTVU in a systematic way, with guidance from DPF at the provincial, municipal and county levels. It will adopt these teaching methods, including the combination of online learning and offline practicals, self-directed learning and collaborative learning. The school will help trainees to formulate personalized learning programmes, and create sign language videos for deaf students and screen reader software for blind students so as to meet the special learning needs of different types of disabled persons.
The costs for the disabled persons to take part in degree education and vocational training at the Hebei RTVU School for the Disabled will be entirely covered by HDPF and Hebei RTVU.
Hebei RTVU School for the Disabled is planning to officially enroll new students beginning in the spring of 2014. All people with disability in the province with self-directed learning ability and a junior high school education or above can log in to its website to register for the study. In the first year, the school will carry on technical secondary school education, and will establish five majors, including computer applications, social work, accounting, ethnic handicraft making (paper-cut, knitting, inside painting and so on) and therapeutic massage. The schooling will last for three years.
Yin Yali pointed out in his speech that employment was the key focus and education was the foundation upon which the prosperity of all people with disability in Hebei would be built. The distance education platform for the disabled in Hebei delivers knowledge and inspiration to people with disability who previously lacked educational opportunities and helps them master a trade, so as to widen their employment opportunities and help them from a fundamental point of view. The majority of people with disabilities should actively learn the theories, knowledge and skills to enhance both their professional attributes and their ability to adapt to society. They should also gradually integrate into society, actively participate in social practice and combine individual goals with national development and social progress. These activities will hopefully give full play to the talents of the student body, make contributions to and facilitate happiness in the grand cause of establishing a moderately prosperous nation.
Liu Xiaoping expressed confidence that Hebei RTVU will try its best to build a school that is a convenient environment within which the disabled can learn and pursue advanced studies, and that will help them master a skill and realize their university dreams so that they can live and work in a more self-respecting, self-confident, self-reliant and self-sufficient way.
By Hebei RTVU