Modern distance education in Jinta County, Gansu brings real benefits to farmers

    Jinta County treats modern distance education as a major undertaking for advancing rural grassroots organizational development, accelerating rural economic and social development, and promoting the building of a harmonious new countryside. To date, "telecom model" and "satellite model" terminal receiving stations have been established in 85 villages across 10 townships. The establishment of this educational network has given farmers ideal technological wings for getting rich. 

In Touhao Village, Gucheng Township, Jinta County, Gao Defu is at home clicking through information on tomato and chili pepper pest and disease control and sales. He said happily: "Things are different now from before. Last year I bought a computer. You see, with a gentle click of the mouse, information on greenhouse vegetable management, pest and disease control, and market prices all shows up here. Truly, without leaving home, you know what's happening in the world." He spoke while operating the computer. "This year I planted tomatoes, chili peppers and other cash crops in 5 greenhouses. The tomatoes and chili peppers have already hit the market, with each greenhouse bringing in 7,000 to 8,000 yuan. All of this business was negotiated with buyers online." To further expand the coverage of distance education, Jinta County broadcasts science and technology programs for no less than 180 minutes in 3 time slots every day on the county TV station. The channel's program content mainly includes theory and policy, typical examples and experience, ways to get rich, legal publicity, practical techniques, scientific and technological knowledge, and rural health care. While keeping the basic program types unchanged, it promptly adjusts program content according to the learning needs of organizations at all levels, the broad masses of Party members and cadres, and the public. In the practical techniques category, it broadcasts content such as skills training for migrant workers, domestic service skills training, and greenhouse construction and vegetable planting techniques. At the same time, based on the arrival of college student village officials in villages over the past two years, it promptly broadcast documentary materials on college student village officials, to guide college students to quickly get into their roles, promptly adjust their mindset, and offer advice and suggestions for local economic and social development. With the launch of this channel, Jinta's Party member and cadre distance education has formed an information transmission framework dominated by internet "telecom model" sites, supplemented by "satellite model" receiving sites, with Party member information demonstration households providing radiating and driving effects, and TV channel programs reaching households. The network system is more complete, and the coverage of the information network has been expanded in all directions, achieving the goal that the broad masses of Party members, cadres and the public can query and publish information without leaving the village, and watch programs and receive education and training without leaving home. 

In the townships of Jinta County, the distance education management centers have changed the previous passive learning situation of "whatever I broadcast, you watch," and instead actively promote a "menu-style" training model. Through visits, questionnaire surveys, discussions and other methods, they have identified the needs of Party members, cadres and the public. Following the principle of supplementing whatever is lacking, they collect and broadcast relevant learning content in a targeted way, and scientifically and reasonably arrange class schedules, conducting training at different levels. "In recent years, the forest and fruit industry has been developing very well. After training and learning information through distance education, I chose to plant grapes and goji berries. Although there is no income yet, I believe there will be a big harvest in two or three years, because I have distance education as my 'portable secretary.' Whatever aspect of scientific and technological knowledge I want to see, one click of the mouse fulfills my wish. Now we farmers are pretty impressive too, and the paths to wealth are getting broader and broader." Yin Huishan, a characteristic forest and fruit industry grower in Shangdonggou Village, said excitedly. The full coverage of distance education has built another "overpass" to wealth for farmers, and at the same time provided a display and exchange platform for rural cultural and entertainment life. During the slack farming season, distance education cultural and artistic programs are used to teach the public to arrange dances and exchange experience online, letting the public learn while being entertained. This has greatly enriched the cultural activities of rural Party members, cadres and the public, and at the same time mobilized their enthusiasm for learning, powerfully advancing the pace of socialist new countryside construction.