The frowning teacher, the bullying father and the pleading mother are common characters in the life of a browbeaten child receiving a traditional Chinese education.

However, a new child-centred approach known as the "Child-Friendly School" framework is likely to replace this traditional model and offer Chinese children a genuine quality education.

The framework will affect about 1,000 rural primary schools in China's 10 western provinces and autonomous regions over the next five years, according to an agreement released yesterday between the Ministry of Education and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"The framework is designed to create a child-friendly learning environment where child-centred and activity-based teaching and learning processes help children fully develop their potential," said Anjana Mangalagiri, chief of the education and child development department of UNICEF China Office.

The framework, first used in Thailand in 1997 and tested in China since 2000, also provides a specific definition of "quality education." "We've been hearing 'quality education' a lot in China, but no one really knows what it is. This framework puts substance into the concept," Mangalagiri said.

According to UNICEF, child-friendly schooling consists of five broad dimensions: inclusiveness, academic effectiveness, health, safety and protection, gender-equality and the involvement of students, families and communities.

At least 34 detailed measurements have been made, such as whether the school makes all children feel equal regardless of their socio-economic and cultural backgrounds; whether the school encourages children to practice observational skills, plan experiments and explore different answers to their own questions; whether the school has safe drinking water facilities and whether the school goes into the community to interact with community members.

Chen Xiaoya, vice-minister of education, said that the ministry welcomes the framework and emphasized that the Chinese Government attaches great importance to quality education.

Zhou Nanzhao, International Centre of Teacher Education under East China Normal University, suggested that the framework should be established as the national standard for primary schooling across China.

However, Mangalagiri said they hope China could develop its own national guidelines for "quality education" based on the UNICEF definition, and provinces are encouraged to develop their own standards based on national guidelines since China is such a large and diverse country.

UNICEF will spend about US$20 million to promote quality education in China in the next five years. Training for teachers and head teachers will serve as a starting point for child-friendly schooling.

Editor: Wing