School Development Plan Research Of Rural Primary School In Hezhen County

As a new idea and an effective measurement to improve school management, School Development Plan (SDP) has been introduced to China from abroad. China-UK Gansu Basic Education Project takes the SDP as a core component of the project aiming at the rural education development in the poor areas in Gansu and attaches new concepts to the Plan. In making SDP the participatory approaches have been adopted through bottom-up procedure to communicate the schools with communities and the education authorities. This process will help achieve understanding in school development and form close relationship in solving key problems existing in school development, so that the school development can be predicting and sustainable.This study is based on the situation in one of the project counties-Hezhen. Survey has been carried out through questionnaire, interviewing, seminar, and reviewing SDP documentations within 12 primary schools on their making and implementing SDP in last 3 years (from 2000 to 2003). This study shows the SDP has been universally accepted by the schools, communities and governmental sections. The implementation of SDP has promoted the development of the schools and communities, upgraded school management and enhanced self-development of teachers and students. By implementation of the SDP the relation between the schools and communities become closer. The headteachers manage their schools in a more scientific and democratic way. The teachers and students have been motivated in participating in school management. The students have been benefited from the learning-centered programs. But the study also shows that the restrictions exist in making and implementing the SDP plan. The monitoring and assessment system is not perfect. The community's participation is limited. Its sustainability and adaptation has been challenged. In the last part of the study, suggestion and strategies have been raised.