Building Educational Community for Left-Behind Children in Rural China: A Case Study of a Small Rural School in Hubei Province

This study aims to investigate how rural schools take action to accommodate left-behind children’s needs for education in rural areas of China through a case study of a small primary school in Hubei province. Moreover, it is expected to lead to a discussion about the roles of small rural schools in accommodating needs for left-behind children’s education in China. It starts with a review of education and well-being of left-behind children in rural China. Then it introduces the development of small rural schools in China. Data of this study was collected from interviews with policy makers, principals, teachers and community members in a small primary school (School A) of County A, Hubei province. The results reveal that School A, as a small rural school, has been taking a collaborative approach to building an educational community which composes a culture of sharing among teachers within School A and diverse coordination between School A and parents, community, social groups and the private sector to best accommodate the need for the education of left-behind children and foster their well-being. It also shows a possible role for small schools in rural areas of China as collaborative platforms for providing for left-behind children’s education. It concludes by highlighting that it is necessary to strengthen a more comprehensive whole-society collaboration among stakeholders for promoting equal, inclusive and quality education for left-behind children and their families.