"Candle" Libraries Built in Rural SchoolsChina will build 300 "candle" libraries for rural primary schools in the provinces of Gansu and Sichuan in west China by the country's 16th Teacher's Day, which falls Sunday.An official with the Chinese Charity Federation (CCF) said that these libraries will help enrich rural students' knowledge and improve rural teachers' professional levels. To celebrate this year's Teacher's Day, CCF and the McDonald Food Ltd. Corporation jointly held an activity called the "Candle Library Project." The activity, which began in July, has collected books and donations in a bid to establish libraries for primary schools in poverty-stricken areas. To narrow the education gap between rural and urban schools, organizers call for more people to participate in the Candle Library Project and other public welfare undertakings. By September 6, about 400,000 books had been donated from cities like, Beijing, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Qingdao, Jinan, Zibo, Shenyang, Dalian, Anshan, Harbin, Jilin and Changchun. The books will be placed in Candle libraries. Initiated in 1998 by CCF, the Candle Project aims to lessen the burden of teachers in poor rural schools and improve their professional levels. |
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