Shaanxi RTVU’s Yan’an Branch School reached an agreement with Yan’an Prison to provide an opportunity for prisoners to receive higher education and improve their life. The two sides launched the Prison Education programme on October 31, 2012. On that day, Mr. Zhang Zhenhua, Secretary of the Party Committee of

Yan’an Branch School, and Mr. Ding Zhijun, Warden of Yan’an Prison, signed this agreement.

The Prison Education programme launched at Yan’an Prison is an accredited programme based on the credit system providing two-and-a-half-year specialty courses consisting of Open and Distance Law Education and Administration Management. Yan’an Branch School will be responsible for the instruction including making teaching plans, arranging teaching activities, employing and managing teachers, providing entrance education, face-to-face tutorials, and examination guidance for the students. They will also take charge of student status management, examination management, and delivery of teaching materials, review of graduation qualifications, and the issuing of diplomas. In addition, they will provide the administrative personnel of Yan’an Prison with training in student status management, examination management, teaching management and teaching resources. They will also provide the administrative personnel of Yan’an prison with guidance on how to carry out online tutorials and how to facilitate interaction between learners.

Mr. Wu Aimin, vice president of Yan’an Branch School, said that the Prison Education programme was established as a grass-roots programme that will serve society in general by giving prisoners the chance to receive higher education. The programme aims to live up to the slogan “Prison becomes school, jail time becomes study time”. Ultimately the goal is to help rehabilitate prisoners, giving them the skills needed to become productive members of society. Mr. Ding Zhijun also pointed out that the Prison Education programme is an innovation meant to help improve the overall quality and reputation of the community. Providing the prisoners with a chance to choose an education from RTVU is a way to give back to the community and give prisoners the opportunity to change their lives for the better.

By Shaanxi RTVU