Seventeen children at a Bao'an orphanage began their formal education yesterday, thanks to the efforts of a private foundation and a group of volunteers in Shekou.

Sabina Li, a German married to a Chinese husband, and Edward Knox from the United States taught English, music, arts and crafts, and simple mathematics for two hours. They also took the children outdoors to play games.

Bao Songliang, a 10-year-old girl who became wheelchair-bound after suffering polio soon after birth, said she had spent the happiest day in her life and was given an English name "Lori."

She had watched while the teachers from the California Sunshine Foundation decorated the room a week ago.

"I heard her saying 'Let's stay and watch a little longer' to another child pushing her wheelchair," foundation manager Emily Bauer told the Shenzhen Daily yesterday.

"Then the girl came up and asked me timidly if it was going to be their classroom," she said.

The private foundation, based in Futian District, started the program with a group of volunteers in Shekou. So far they have 10 teachers, including seven Caucasians, a Singaporean, a Chinese-Canadian and a Chinese who teaches at Shekou International School. All will teach in English and enough donations have been raised to continue the program until the end of next year.

"We are recruiting more teachers as backup for the program," Bauer said.

A total of 27 children aged between 4 and 11, including 10 residents of boarding kindergartens, are being given the chance to participate. They will take two-hour courses each Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The Bao'an orphanage has more than 300 children but only 27 are aged above 4 and well enough to take education.

The teachers, some working voluntarily and some taking 100 yuan (US$12.94) for each hour's work, will take leave during Golden Week holidays, but there will be no summer or winter vacations.

"It's good to be able to offer them some kind of formal education, as it has been very difficult for them to go to normal schools, where they tend to be discriminated against," Bauer said.

Editor: Yan