The Community Council at Sala Girls Middle School

Xunhua County is located in the east of Qinghai with a population of 113013, including 14 nationalities such as Sala, Han, Tibetan, Hui, Dongxiang, Tu, Man and etc. Sala nationality accounts for 60.3% of the whole county population, forms Sala autonomous county – a national needy county. Per capita income was ?720 Yuan and the county financial income was ?8.26 million Yuan in 1998, the self-sufficient rate was only 27%.

Almost all the education input entirely relies on the government investment. Education didn't make any satisfactory achievements because of fund shortage. By the end of 1998, the school entrance rate of school-age children was 93.1%, 84.1% for school-age girls, 78% for school-age Sala girls. Only 40% of school-age girls went up to junior school, 19% to senior school. The popularization of six-year compulsory education has become the work target of local education officials.

Sala girls' education seriously left behind, it results that Sala women become the typical weak group in fighting for social equality, social employment and etc. because of their common low cultural quality.

In the autumn of 1999, Finish Embassy in China and the PF co-donated for setting up “PF/Yuqi Gao Tuition Aid Fund” and “PF/Rutanen Spice Garden” programs.

At the beginning, we persuaded positively girls' parents, especially their mothers into participating program management, and recommended the community council should mainly consist of women. Promoted by the County Education Bureau, the Women Union and the school, 53 parents' representatives (including 29 women) held the 1 st meeting at Sala Girls Middle School on 29 Dec. The meeting elected 11 members of the community council including 5 women who together with other male representatives would join the program supervision and management on behalf of school children and their mothers to ensure open and fair assistance.

At the meeting the director of the county education bureau congratulated the local elected women representatives on taking part in social activities responsibly and equally on behalf of Sala women. Meanwhile he appealed all social circles, especially women to take education as the foundation engineering that could liberate women, improve women's status, dispose of poverty and get rich.

After the meeting the county magistrate, Mr. Fengsheng Ma (Sala nationality) said: “It's the 1 st time we invited women to join program management and democratic discussion in Xunhua. It lashed traditional beliefs and drew all social circles' close attention, especially women themselves. Sala women are diligent and wise, traditionally undertake housework, and carry more duty on children's education. We hope women participate more social and economic life to improve their own quality and make a contribution to nationality prosperity and development.”

Up to now, a few years passed, the community council dismissed some old members and elected some new members, they all are fulfilling their duty for children.