To help students air grievances when their parents are away, the school introduced a "tree hole" project -- a cardboard box or a baby formula jar is put in each classroom, and children write messages for their teachers to see. It makes the children feel better
"When I came five years ago, the school was like a dead pond. Students failed courses. Nobody cared how they performed. Their grandparents had no choice. Reading was almost zero," Yin said.
In 2014, Yin received funding from a number of non-governmental organizations to renovate their library and classrooms.
"I have been teaching for about 19 years, and if there is one thing I know it is that a child should read and that reading enriches their mind," she said.
Her experiment began in 2015 and has recently started to score successes. Average scores of the students at Zhangjiabu were once bottom of the school district, but now they rank among the top. Several students excel in Chinese literature, as well as sports and music.
CHINA'S SUMMERHILL
Though Yin has not met strong opposition to her alternative style of education, some have voiced concerns.
"Some parents doubt whether such great liberty will improve their grades, but most are happy that their children have become more open, confident and willing to engaging with others," Yin said.
Yin has never visited Summerhill, a boarding school in Britain where teachers are known by their first names, and children have a say in all decision-making, but she shares similar beliefs with those who advocate freedom for students.
But as a public village school with limited funding, it is an experiment that can only go as far as resources allow. There are 11 teachers at the school, about two for each class.
Zhangjiabu is about to renovate its playground, and the children have been asked to help with the design. One said he wants to have a "tree of wishes." Another wants a swing and a garden.
"I hope for a new school powered solely by solar energy," said Yin Shumiao, a sixth-grader.
