Chapter 19 Chapter 18: Chant 3: A school that makes money every day and a school family that does not know how to teach

On April 30, 1998, a special train departed from Shenzhen and flew north along the newly built Beijing-Kowloon Line, heading straight for Beijing, the heart of the motherland... "It's here, it's almost there!" When it was approaching Beijing, all the people in the car suddenly became excited.When they walked out of the station, the square in front of the station was immersed in celebration with countless colorful flags and loud gongs and drums. "Dude, you guys are rich!" "Junior brother, you have created a miracle in the history of Chinese train travel!"

"Of course, why don't we call 'Peking University'!" "Yes, we are unique 'Peking University people'!" On this day, Chinese and many foreign news media reported news about a special train.It turned out that this was a "special train" specially chartered by more than 600 old Peking University students working in Shenzhen and Guangzhou to participate in the Centennial Anniversary of Peking University. People from Peking University are really awesome!In those few days, I heard several Beijing citizens sigh so much when they commented on this "special train".People from Peking University are really awesome. I am afraid that only Peking University people have such courage to pack a special train to participate in the school celebration like this.In fact, all Chinese people, including me, are proud of the boldness of Peking University people.Because Peking University people are well-deserved, I think that if there is an "Airbus" that can carry thousands of people, Peking University people will definitely board the plane and take off without hesitation...

In the few days at the beginning of May 1998, there was unprecedented excitement and joy in the history of Chinese education. This was the centennial celebration of Peking University.In those few days, from the president of the Republic to the prime minister of the Central People's Government, from the centenarians of the first generation of Peking University to the young students who just stepped into the shore of the unknown lake, they were all excited about the same thing.It is no exaggeration to say that the grandness of Peking University's centennial celebration is unprecedented in China's thousands of years of education history, and perhaps it may be unprecedented.If Confucius was still alive, he would definitely be very happy about it.Not to mention the commemorative meeting in the Great Hall of the People attended by the head of state and all the main leaders of China, and the grand ceremony where the presidents of hundreds of world-renowned schools gathered together. How many "red envelopes" are there!

On this rather sensitive issue, Peking University has publicly clarified its principles since the beginning of its preparations for the anniversary: ​​the Centennial Anniversary should not be vulgar and commercial.A copy of the "Peking University Centennial Celebration Guide" for many units and alumni clearly indicates that the purpose of the school celebration is to "promote tradition, prosper academics, face the future, and promote development", trying to make the school celebration an "education festival". , "Cultural Festival" and "Art Festival".Later facts also proved that Peking University’s Centennial Anniversary has indeed become a national “education festival”, a national “cultural festival” and a national “art festival”.I emphasize "the whole of China" because its momentum and scale far exceed the previous national festivals of this kind that have been held in China.

But Peking University people are very good at handling things. While making such a large-scale school celebration a world-renowned school celebration, they happily accepted a series of amazing "red envelopes" in the background.The following is a number publicly provided by the school celebration office: as of March 31, 1998, one month before the school celebration, 25 Chinese and foreign companies have donated a total of 150 million yuan to Peking University.Among them, Li Ka-shing, a famous Hong Kong industrialist, donated 10 million US dollars for the new building of Peking University Library; Mr. He Zhuguo, the boss of Fanhua Hong Kong, donated 35 million yuan; The company donated 1 million RMB; American Procter & Gamble donated 1 million RMB; A total of 30 million yuan worth of self-financed souvenir production and sales contracts were signed by the manufacturers.Readers can notice that among the above donations with a total value of about 180 million yuan, all of them are large "red envelopes" worth more than one million yuan. As for those small "red envelopes" worth hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of yuan, they are not on the list at all.Another situation is that the above figures were received long before the climax of school celebrations. It is conceivable that Chinese people have a traditional habit of celebrating festivals, that is, to bring gifts to celebrate.During the ten-day Daqing period from April 30th to May 9th, Peking University successively received more than 10,000 celebrities and alumni from all walks of life, so it is conceivable how many "gifts" these people brought. !I only heard that many enterprises and many Peking University alumni, who are also tycoons now, all adopted a low-key approach to their donations to Peking University this time, that is, in a low-key manner, that is, without publicity or publicity.Like the 2 million yuan donated by Indonesia's Jinguang Group, Ms. Yang Lizhu of the group put the money away, and only said "donate for education" and never uttered a word...

How many "red envelopes" did Peking University receive for its anniversary? Is it the 200 million that was disclosed to the public?Or the actual 300 million?In fact, we don't need to explore the mystery so seriously.But one thing can be confirmed, that is, Peking University has indeed become a rich school that "makes money every day" during the days of the school celebration.The reason why China cheers for Peking University’s centennial celebration is because it is truly the highest institution in China, and its centennial is also the course of China’s century-old progress, and China’s century-old progress has a lot of driving force from this “royal institution”.

Peking University has become a rich school that "makes money every day" as it should be.It is my pride as a Chinese that Peking University "makes money every day".However, what I want to talk about here is another phenomenon, that is, among the more than 2,000 colleges and universities in China (including 1,034 general colleges and 1,000 adult colleges), there is also a serious "gap between rich and poor". And as the market economy continues to move forward, this difference between colleges and universities has become increasingly serious.This phenomenon is also reflected in solving the problem of poor students.Due to the great difference in the sources of funds obtained between poor schools and rich schools every year, there are also huge differences in their respective education and development, investment and guarantee.

Let’s first talk about some “rich schools” like Peking University and Tsinghua University.If divided according to the proportion, the proportion of their poor students is also about 10% to 15%. However, there is basically no situation where the poor students here cannot survive.The reason is that almost all of their students are the "top scorers" of the college entrance examination from all over the country. Once the "top scorer" of the college entrance examination from a poor family becomes a reality, they will usually receive several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan in rewards from social or government departments. .Especially in the past few years, in coastal areas such as Jiangsu, Shanghai, Guangdong, Shandong, etc., a student became the "champion scholar" of the whole province or city. There is also a prize, and a "champion" student in Jiangsu once received a maximum of 30,000 yuan.This is not over yet, after you arrive at university, if you are the "No. 1 scholar", you will also get a large bonus.If you are a "No. 1 student" from a poor family, in addition to enjoying the above rewards, you will also be exempted from all tuition fees. In this way, a penniless "No. 1 student" becomes a small "rich man" overnight.As for the second and third places in the college entrance examination results, they also rise with the tide, and they can also earn thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan.With so much money, let alone one year's tuition, even four years of university can basically pay for it.This is one of them.Second, relatively speaking, those famous schools and rich schools have more students from wealthy families.Those from poor families who were admitted to Peking University and Tsinghua University were rare after all.What we have seen is that in these colleges and universities, the principals have already issued a resounding commitment to the society, that is, they will never let a student drop out of school due to family difficulties.The reason why the principals have such a solid foundation is not only their own sense of educational responsibility, but the important reason is that they have such a "small sum" in their pockets to solve the economic difficulties of the poor students who are not too heavy in the school. .

During the interview in Nanjing, the ancient capital of southern China, the student office of Southeast University gave me a copy of the school's materials.We might as well announce: Southeast University currently has more than 8,000 full-time undergraduate and junior college students, about 4% of whom have an average monthly living expense of less than 150 yuan, totaling about 350 students; about 15% of whom have an average monthly living expense of less than 200 yuan, totaling about 1,300 students.It should be said that Southeast University’s classification standard for extremely poor students and impoverished students is slightly relaxed. The average monthly living expenses of general colleges and universities are about 50 yuan lower than their monthly living expenses, that is, the average monthly living expenses of extremely poor students are calculated to be 100 yuan or even lower. below the level.Look at how Southeast University solves 20% of the poor and extremely poor students.Take 1997 as an example - the school's first measure was a scholarship that "widely spreads money and pays a lot of money".Wide range means that 70% of their students can enjoy scholarships ranging from 1,000 yuan to 4,000 yuan per year (undergraduate students), that is, as long as you study hard and strive to reach 70% of the number of people, you will have basic living expenses.This scholarship is called "Comprehensive Scholarship" in Southeast University. In addition, there are "Three Good Student Models" and "Excellent Student Cadres" awards. Each winner can get 1,000 yuan each year.The third scholarship is a special scholarship for "enterprises and alumni", which means money donated by the society. The winners can get 500 to 3,000 yuan a year.Taking 1997 as an example, a total of 243 people from the whole school won this award.The fourth item is scholarships donated by enterprises and institutions. There are about five or six items. Nearly a hundred students can get them every year.The fifth item is a single scholarship. At the beginning of each year, the school allocates 27 yuan per person per year for graduates and 44 yuan per person per year for non-graduates to each department according to the number of students in each department. The following awards are selected based on the results of the academic year For outstanding students, the school will receive a total of about 350,000 yuan in this award each year.The second major measure is bursaries for poor and extremely poor students.It is also divided into two parts: the school allocates to each department and college according to the total number of students in the school, with an average of about 100,000 yuan per year, and the other part is a regular and temporary hardship subsidy directly used by the student office.All poor and extremely poor students who have not received the above 70% large-scale scholarship can enjoy a monthly subsidy of 100 yuan.About 30,000 yuan is used for sudden difficulties every year.The third major measure is the work-study post subsidy organized and established by the school, which is about 200,000 yuan per year.Those who can become part-time work-study posts in the school are all poor and extremely poor students.In addition to the above three blocks, their last item is the loan system.If those poor and extremely poor students still cannot solve their difficulties through the above three measures, they can apply for loans from the school. In 1996, Southeast University prepared a loan of 400,000 yuan and actually lent 180,000 yuan; in 1997, it prepared a loan of 610,000 yuan and actually lent 180,000 yuan.One of the important reasons why the actual loans are much less is that the poor and extremely poor students in the school have already taken the above-mentioned major measures, and basically have one or several scholarships and grants, and they don’t need to pay any more. Worry about life.

The poor and extremely poor students of Southeast University are lucky. Even in this famous school, there is a huge army of "poor students" with more than 1,300 people, but they have saved a lot of money because of the school's strong economic strength. Bitterness and sorrow, sweat and tears... However, I still want to point out that Southeast University is not the best "rich school". Compared with Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Zhongshan University, Nantah University, etc. Level". However, when I introduced the situation of Southeast University to Shanxi Agricultural University, North China Institute of Technology and other schools belonging to the "poor colleges and universities", I saw that these principals were either dumbfounded or drooling with envy.

"Oh, it's really annoying to compare people to people. If they give up those few sponsors who are too late to receive to our school, I can get a good night's sleep!" One day, he was overwhelmed with receiving several donors in a row, and after two donors who brought a huge sum of 100,000 yuan ran away in anger, Wang Jiemin, deputy secretary of the Shanxi Agricultural University Party Committee, was very lamented. "How much donation do you want?" I asked Secretary Wang jokingly. He thought about it seriously, and then said solemnly: "50,000 yuan. With 50,000 yuan, I can basically solve the problem of poor students!" "Is 50,000 yuan enough?" I was quite surprised.Because I just learned from their students that Shanxi Agricultural University, an agricultural school with more than 4,000 students, has more than 90% of its students from rural areas. The reason why these students go to Agricultural University is that the admission score is lower than other key universities. On the other hand, they know that agricultural universities are given scholarships by the state (in fact, a considerable number of students in professional schools such as agricultural schools have to pay tuition fees after the merger), so they come to such schools.I also know that nearly half of the students in this school entered the school after their families auctioned off their property. Secretary Wang smiled apologetically and said: "The six or seven thousand teachers and students in our school are all poor people who are used to suffering. You have seen it all. It's less than an hour, but we are a real 'village-run university' - the school is surrounded by farmers from the production team, and two years ago, the registered permanent residence of the school's teaching staff was in Taigu County, which is quite a distance from here. When many of our students from rural areas enter the gate of agriculture, they are called wronged: how is this university similar to my home! If you ask us about the proportion of poor students, how do you say it? If it is based on the standards of Peking University, Tsinghua University, or Southeast University According to the standard, our students may all be counted as poor students. Now the basis for classifying poor students in colleges and universities is mainly based on the consumption on the student meal card. Of course, there is a problem of different consumption levels in different regions, but some things are changing now. , You said that our school is located in the countryside, but the price is not much cheaper than yours in Beijing. The supply of meat and vegetables is not what you want, but some are more expensive than big cities. That’s it, you know the average monthly living expenses of our students How much is it? Let me tell you, the monthly living standard of our boys is 140 yuan, and the monthly living standard of girls is 90 yuan, which is the average level! Speaking of the living expenses of those students in difficulty, you may have never heard of it. We have a classmate I haven’t eaten 100 yuan in three months! You ask how to eat? What do you think you can eat! Some people see him eating a steamed bun and a bowl of free porridge every meal! He is a major in agriculture, and the school Granting him a subsidy of 72 yuan, logically, it wouldn’t be so miserable. But after our investigation, the student had to pay 30 to 40 yuan a month to the family. Not only was it impossible for the family to provide any financial aid, but the student had to send money. The parents of the students said that your child is going to college, that is, the state has given money, and you have to send money home when you have good food and clothing. Those are from the poor and poor areas of the country with no education. Farmers, with such a large number of students, can the school be rescued? Of course not. The school’s own education funds are tight, and the school building is old and outdated, and it needs to be renovated long ago. These are all waiting for money. But The money given by the state can basically only maintain the 'capital fee', and it is difficult to do other things. You ask if there is any social donation? Didn't I tell you just now that our place is a long way from the provincial capital, and it is also an agricultural school Well, rich people don’t come to us. They pay attention to returns when they donate money. The only donation of 20,000 yuan over the years was given by an old professor of ours. He did not congratulate himself on his 80th birthday, but took the money to the school to donate to those poor students. The spirit is precious. , We also value this money very much. We have specially set up a scholarship to reward those students from poor families who can support themselves and study well. After all, the 20,000 yuan will be used for thousands of poor students like us. What problems can be solved by the body? So, how much we want to appeal to those people of insight, don't always focus on those famous schools, we areIn a large agricultural country, talents in the countryside are a major issue related to the revitalization of our nation.Besides, agriculture is actually very, very economically meaningful.When it comes to poverty, professional schools like ours really need and urgently need to solve the problem.Because the impoverished students in schools like ours are the most concentrated. " Secretary Wang has a lot to say, and the problems he reflects are exactly the facts that currently exist in Chinese colleges and universities.I have been to agricultural, forestry, fishery, geology, petroleum, coal and other professional schools. The problem of impoverished students in these schools is the most serious and prominent, and they are affected by the overall situation of the national industrial adjustment and the industry's own mechanism. Due to its limitations, unfavorable factors such as environment and geography, and its lack of hematopoietic function, it is difficult to have the power to invest a large amount of money in awards, loans, subsidies, subsidies, and exemptions for poor students like those well-known colleges and universities. .These colleges and universities basically do not receive social sponsorship, so the problem of poor students is more prominent, and it is almost impossible to change it in the short term.According to data, my country's current professional colleges and universities account for more than 1/3 of the total number of colleges and universities, and the total number of poor students in these schools accounts for more than 2/3 of the total number of poor students in colleges and universities nationwide.It is imminent to pay attention to and pay attention to the problem of impoverished college students at this level, because it is difficult for these professional colleges to really get out of the predicament relying on the country and the school itself. At the beginning of July 1998, within two or three days of the eve of the university’s summer vacation, I visited Peking University and China Agricultural University, both in the capital, respectively.I first went to the "Changping Garden" of Peking University, which is their branch campus, and every year the first-year liberal arts students are here.Before I went, I had read the materials of several poor students who were admitted to Peking University in 1997, so I expected to find some feeling of poverty from them when I got there, but I was "disappointed" and didn't find it.The first one is Liu Moumou, the "No. 1 scholar" in liberal arts in Heilongjiang. He had a very tragic experience before he was admitted to university. During the few years when his mother was seriously ill, he either dropped out of work or skipped a grade to ease the family burden.If such a student is in a university such as the Agricultural University, he may have to drop out after entering the "Longmen", or it must be very difficult even if he continues to study at school.But after I met Liu, his first words were: "I am not born in poverty now! I am not poor, really, I have nothing to say." The second one is Miss Bai, a girl from Shandong, also born in 1997. "No. 1".Her family is in the old revolutionary base area of ​​Yimeng. Ms. Bai grew up on cornmeal and her family is still very poor. Her father died of illness when she was in middle school.Because she was the "No. 1 Scholar", her middle school awarded her 3,000 yuan. With this money, she went to Peking University. Later, the school immediately exempted her from the 2,500 yuan tuition fee she paid as an extremely poor student.Ms. Bai told me that she didn’t spend a single cent of her family’s money this year, and she said that she probably won’t have to pay for it in the future, because the school can basically waive her annual tuition fees, and her living expenses are paid by the school. scholarship. "In addition to the non-staple food subsidy of more than 80 yuan per month, my living expenses are enough. As long as I study hard and get some scholarships for four years of study, it will not be a problem." Miss Bai said very confidently.The last interviewee was Zhu Feng, a well-known "poor student" in "Changping Garden".Xiao Zhu is from Xinyang, Henan, and his hometown is a poor area.In order to jump out of the farm gate and enter the "Dragon Gate", Xiao Zhu bit his finger when he was in junior high school, and wrote two words in blood on the title page of his small diary: "Peking University".He always encouraged himself with the faith in his heart, and finally realized his Peking University dream in September 1997.I asked him how his life is now, and he said that according to the standards of a poor child, it is no problem.The school waived his tuition fees, and gave him a stipend of 2,000 yuan, plus monthly subsidies for non-staple food and transportation. "Life will never be a problem. The only problem left is to see if I can maintain my The 'No. 1 Scholar' has an advantage." This is Peking University. Although there are many jobs for poor students that need to be done by Peking University people, compared with those poor school families who have no support, this is not a problem at all.At the same time, I went to China Agricultural University, the highest university with 800 million farmers interviewed in April and May.The day I went this time was already on summer vacation, but there were still a lot of students on campus here. After inquiring, I realized that they were all students who did not go home.More than 95% of them gave up the opportunity to reunite with their relatives in order to save a sum of travel expenses. At the same time, they also had an extremely important consideration, that is, to try to use the vacation of more than one month to earn the tuition fees for the next school year. "Is it easy to find a part-time job?" "It's too difficult. This year is more difficult than any other year." A classmate said that he has been in contact with relevant companies or units since May, but so far no place has been confirmed. "If you can't work during the holidays, what will you do with your tuition and living expenses for the new school year?" The classmate looked bewildered, and shook his head again: "May God bless you." This is true for agricultural college students in Beijing, not to mention agricultural universities located in provinces (districts) and remote areas.As for those professional colleges and universities such as textiles, coal, geology, railways, etc. that are in a downturn in the entire industry, it is self-evident. But schools such as Agricultural University are not the most pitiful. One day in early May 1998, when I came to North China Institute of Technology, a former military engineering university, I discovered that there was another type of "poor school family" that was more difficult. The college's external mailing address indicated that it was a certain road in Taiyuan City, but it was actually in a remote mountain valley that was still a long drive away from Taiyuan.The winding roads and rolling mountains are the mysterious products of the "Three Fronts".If you hadn't known about it long ago, you would never believe that there is a university with tens of thousands of people in that big mountain bend.The master told me that their school has a history of 50 years, and it is a military engineering university that has made great contributions to the establishment and defense of the republic.Just over ten years ago, it was an indescribable honor and pride for anyone who could enter such a code-named university.At that time, Peking University and Tsinghua University were nothing compared to them.However, the history has only gone on for more than ten years, and this University of Military Engineering, which makes every alumni proud, has fallen into a very embarrassing situation: the North China Institute of Technology, where the emperor's daughter never worries about marrying, has gradually lost its advantage in military engineering. Most people are no longer interested in being a soldier and going to a "secret unit".After the reform and opening up, there are brighter worlds and places to go to. Why go to those old and remote valleys that are difficult and remote!Therefore, the school can only adjust and expand other majors according to the actual and social needs of the industry downturn, and recruit students from the whole society.At this time, they discovered that the advantages of the past have now all become disadvantages.The mystery in the mountains and valleys in the past has now become "a place of exile for stupid people"; the high political treatment and high wages of the red stars in the past are now even considered ridiculous when people mention them. There is a convenient opportunity to study abroad or seek employment in foreign companies. Is it possible to get less than you for a job?Weapons University is lost, and no one is fooled by their gold medals anymore. Even the enrollment can only recruit those who do not want to pay tuition fees, and it is best to get a little subsidy from remote, poor farmers or children of laid-off workers in cities... ...It's so pitiful, but the national policy is the same. Those who should be merged should be merged, and those who should pay tuition should pay as much.As a result, the students who came to register found that this school did not take advantage of any "advantages", and the school found that the burden on their shoulders was much heavier than other universities! That day, I set off from the Shanxi Provincial Youth League Committee before 6 p.m., but the traffic jam along the way made the 20-30 km journey take more than two hours.After arriving at the college at around 8:20 p.m., Yang Bo, deputy secretary of the school’s party committee, Wu Junqing, director of the student affairs department, and Li Shuxue, secretary of the Youth League Committee, who had already been waiting there, were as enthusiastic and polite as meeting a senior leader. Straight to move people. "Students have been waiting for you for more than an hour in the meeting room." The host said. I was flattered when I heard it, and hurriedly said: "Then let's eat something casually, and then we go to meet our classmates?" After all, they were both soldiers, and I found that I hadn't lost the military living habits of ten years ago. After a hasty dinner, I was ushered into the meeting room like a crowd.In a large house of thirty to forty square meters, there is a whole circle of people around.The host said that they are all representatives of impoverished students. They heard that you made a special trip to understand the problems of impoverished students in colleges, so they all want to talk to you. It couldn't be better. "Then let the students talk about it!" I only said a few opening remarks, and then opened the notebook. But I soon found out that I was wrong, because I couldn't record it - the first classmate hadn't finished speaking, and the next one was already crying... I still can't forget the scene of that night, this is also my life The reappearance of the distant feeling that I experienced in the past, that is the "remembering bitterness and thinking about sweetness" that we often encountered twenty or thirty years ago... Really, I didn't exaggerate at all, and I didn't consider the essential difference between the similar collective crying that was separated by twenty or thirty years.I just feel that our college students are so tough!I just feel that the Republic has almost passed half a century. Why do some of our people still live in such poverty?At that time, I only had one wish, which was to try my best to let every student who participated in the symposium talk about their own situation in detail, and then I thought of including them in the works, and then I hope that rich people will come out to help these difficulties classmate…… This night I had the most intense and lengthy interview I have ever had.From 9pm until midnight.As soon as I got out of bed at 6 o'clock the next morning, I started receiving classmates again until noon.After that, I visited the school environment and the only student work-study club.The interviews and witnessing here have made me fully confirm the problems reported by several leaders of the college: North China Institute of Technology is a university that is almost isolated from the world, and all the changes and innovations around the campus have to be digested by themselves.Like poor students, they are one of the most helpless colleges.Due to the slump in the weapons industry in recent years, the country's actual investment in the academy has not increased.The school has limited resources such as the management of some auxiliary facilities, and basically only considers the arrangement of employment personnel such as family members and children of the school's teaching staff.Therefore, there are very few work-study jobs for poor students, and most of the poor students who need help have no jobs.It is almost impossible to do tutoring or part-time job here.A classmate said that he had gone out of school to find a tutor a few months ago. He had to walk more than ten kilometers of mountain roads. He was still a child in the countryside and was only paid 5 yuan per hour. Later, he quit.North China Institute of Technology is tens of miles away from the city, and the students work and tutor, so they can only end up like this classmate.And the school is also like Shanxi Agricultural University, no one has given them a penny of social donations.Several school leading cadres said to me, we welcome you, comrade writer, and hope that through your pen, we can remind the society and relevant departments that if you want to do a good deed, you should do more to give charcoal. Do less of the icing on the cake.The "poor households" like our North China Institute of Technology really need help.Comrades, you writers, please help us with an advertisement. We have something to say first: as long as someone donates, it is 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, and our school will let the top leader come forward to receive it grandly! I promised to do so.As for whether anyone will donate to a "poor university" like North China Institute of Technology with many poor students, it depends on whether God opens his eyes. Coming out of North China Institute of Technology, I thought that the topic of those "unsupported school families" in colleges and universities could be closed.But I was wrong again. At the beginning of June 1998, after I finished interviewing several colleges and universities in Shaanxi, I was going to return to Beijing from Xianyang International Airport.But I had to stop in Xianyang for two days, because when I left Beijing, the relevant comrades in charge of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League specially told me that I must visit the Tibetan Institute for Nationalities in Xianyang.How could the Tibet Institute for Nationalities be located in Xianyang, Shaanxi, thousands of miles away from Lhasa?That's what interests me and many others.In addition, interviewing ethnic minority colleges and universities is a dream, so I decided to go. Laba Tsering, deputy secretary of the Youth League Committee who received me, was a young Tibetan guy who could speak fluent Chinese.Along the way, he told me about the history of their college.It turns out that the Tibet Minority Institute was formally established 42 years ago in 1957 with the approval of the central government. Its earliest name was Tibet Public School. In 1956, with the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region Preparatory Committee, the Organization Department of the Central Committee transferred a large number of cadres from various provinces and cities to prepare to go to Tibet, and at the same time absorbed a large number of Tibetan cadres and masses to join the revolutionary ranks.Because the Tibetan local government and the upper-level reactionary groups resisted reform at that time, and rebellions frequently occurred in some areas, and considering issues such as transportation and financial expenditures, the central government decided to train cadres and talents when the conditions for implementing reforms in Tibet were not yet ripe.Therefore, with the approval of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, starting from June 1957, the Tibet Preparatory Committee moved more than 3,400 students and more than 700 employees from the former Tibetan Cadre School and the Tibet Youth League School, which were under construction, from various places in Tibet to Gansu. Lanzhou, Shandan, Chengdu and Ya'an in Sichuan, Xi'an and Guozhen in Shaanxi have carried out teaching while preparing for construction. At the beginning of 1958, all the schools in these three provinces were concentrated in Xianyang, Shaanxi and merged into one, which became the current Tibet Nationalities College.This is the first institution of higher learning in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and it is still the highest ethnic institution in Tibet.The colleges and universities affiliated to an autonomous region are outside its own region, which is determined by Tibet’s specific historical background and specific geographical conditions.Since its establishment more than 40 years ago, the college has played an irreplaceable role in the peaceful liberation of Tibet and the subsequent socialist construction.Especially in March 1959, the former Tibetan local government and the upper-level reactionary group publicly launched an armed rebellion. The school followed the instructions of the superior and sent more than 2,000 teachers and students to Tibet to enrich the backbone team and played an indelible special role in the victory of the counter-rebellion. effect.During the period of peace and construction, the college has successively sent nearly 20,000 graduates to Tibet, more than 80% of whom are ethnic minority students mainly Tibetan. Now they are leaders at all levels and on all fronts in Tibet.Rapa Tsering told me that more than 60% of the leading cadres at or above the state level in the autonomous region are from this school, and more than half of the leaders of the autonomous region government, people's congress, and political consultative conference are also their alumni.In the minds of Tibetans, Minyuan is "Tibet's Peking University". However, this once glorious Tibetan institution of higher learning is facing an extremely difficult situation today.Except for the new building facing the main entrance, which was funded by superiors for the 40th anniversary of the school, the entire campus gives people a sense of "remote areas" and "ethnic minority areas".In the past, the advantages of being far away from the autonomous region and running schools and cultivating talents in the interior are becoming more and more disadvantaged now.isn't it?The dignified No. 1 university in the autonomous region is not under the nose of the autonomous region government, but in another province thousands of miles away.Forget it, it takes a week to go back and forth once, don't care, it's not a problem.Let the brothers and provinces take care of it. People will say that this is not going to work. We dare not compete with comrades from ethnic minorities for talents!In this way, the jewel in the palm of the Tibet Institute for Nationalities gradually lost its due luster.Of the limited allocations, 73% is taken up by headcount expenses alone, and the remaining 27% can only cover daily expenses such as water and electricity bills for the whole school.As for school construction and improving the treatment of faculty and staff, it is difficult to put it on the agenda. In fact, if the school leaders want to do it, it is impossible for a clever woman to cook without rice.The hardest ones are our students, who suffer more poverty than any college students... Dean Ciwang Junmei introduced to me that the reason why their students are more impoverished than any other university and the degree of poverty is more serious than any other university is due to the special source of students.The Tibet Institute for Nationalities currently has three major sources of students, one of which is the children of farmers and herdsmen in the region.Most of the families of these students are in the remote areas of Tibet, and even many places are desolate and alpine areas. The students do not have a fixed home. Their homes are on horseback or in tents, and they walk along the pastures. Go with the wind and snow.Most of the students have never received a letter from home since they left school. On the one hand, few family members know how to write letters, and even if they do, they don't know where to find the post office.It is almost impossible to expect your family to send you some living expenses.The herdsmen are relatively poor. Even if you have thousands of cows or a hundred sheep when you leave the house, it may be a storm overnight, and your family will suddenly change from a rich household to a poor household.It is not easy for Tibetan children to get financial support from their families. Besides, even if I want to send you something, maybe the summer items will be cold when you receive them.Another situation is that in Tibet, the nine-year compulsory education is all provided by the state. After students enter school, all the burdens are basically borne by the government. Farmers and herdsmen can go nomadic far away with peace of mind.But the university is no longer good. According to the documents of the autonomous region, starting from 1997, universities in Tibet must also be in line with the reform of universities in the whole country.新生也要拿出1600至1700元的学费，而在校的学生除了一部分师资教育外（即师范生能有每月100元补贴），其余学生的生活费都得自己掏。藏族农牧民们不习惯，也不太了解这种新政策，在他们的意识中，孩子交给学校后就不去操心了，别说是大学，从小学开始就一直是这样。因为过去国家从来都是这么做的。有的学生对上学交学费也不甚理解，他们报到时身无分文，老师让他交钱，他反问你为什么让我交钱，不是上学国家全管吗？最后他用狐疑的目光，扔下一句“我从小就没听说过啥叫学费”的话就走了。西藏民院的第二块生源是部队战士。考虑到特殊的地理条件等因素，根据国家建设西藏的需要，学院按照自治区指示精神，每年从驻藏的部队战士中招收一批学员充实自己的生源。而这部分学生大部分家在内地，之所以招他们是以后需要他们长期留在西藏工作。内地籍的战士哪个想一辈子留在艰苦的西藏，并且都是州以下的工作单位？对这一批战士学员事先是有约的，看来只能是那些家庭十分贫困、子女又多的农家子弟。这就是西藏民族学院背负沉重担子的又一个原因。还有一个生源就是从1993年开始，国家特别指示的从内地10个省区招收像战士学员一样的以后要长期留在西藏并在县以下基层单位工作的学生。同样道理，这样的学生只有在边远省份的那些贫困的农家子弟里招到。这10个省、区是：四川、云南、山东、山西、河南、青海、甘肃、贵州、陕西、宁夏。看一看这些省份，个中的意思不言而喻。次旺俊美院长说，我们的学生贫困是“先天”决定的，由于学校经费严重不足，所以目前他们在学生中只有一块奖学金可以为一些同学缓减部分困难。但由于学校拿不出钱，故奖学金的奖励面只有国家给的30%那一块，其余70％的学生无法解决，尤其是那些家庭困难的学生。 后来听学院各系主任、书记介绍，更令人痛惜不已。 语言系的老师说，他们有390个学生，是西藏民院的大系，区内生120个，区外生270个。“我们是自己给自己背包袱——到边远的贫困地区招最贫困的学生。”老师自嘲起来，“这些学生中许多人上大学时身上什么都没带，别说钱，就是最基本的生活用品都没有。冬天到了，我们下去检查一看，学生睡觉的铺垫只有一张牛皮纸，人往被子里一裹，就算睡觉了。好在学校有暖气，否则真会冻坏身体。最恼人的是每年新学年开学，学校让学生们交学费，有的同学实在拿不出。他们平时就靠学校发的几十元补贴，光糊弄一张嘴就已经极其困难，哪弄来几千元的学费？这些学生的家庭本来就属于贫困，你问他要学费，人家反问：我把儿女都交给了国家（即一辈子到西藏工作），你还到我家拿什么钱？没辙。我们老师说多了，学生双手一摊，说我就是没钱，要不你开除我算了。97级就有一个男生不辞而别，离开了学校。” 预科班的老师说：“咱们西藏民院地处咸阳，按说也不算太困难地区，可由于我们的学生不是少数民族，就是来自边远地区，语言和能力上有障碍，全校没听过有人出去搞家教或啥勤工俭学的。所以学院虽在闹市之中，却又是个与世隔绝之地。像名气很响、到处赞助的505集团就在我们这儿，可人家也不愿给我校赞助，啥原因？就是因为你是个与世隔绝的大学，赞助了你等于把钱白扔了，不起一点商人们追求的效应嘛。我们学校自己又没什么勤工俭学岗可设，设了你也拿不出补给同学们做劳务费，还是不设的好。有一次我们试着把装垃圾车的任务交贫困生干，装一车8块钱，每车两个同学装。可后来同学们不愿干了，说干半天活，就得回来洗个澡，累一天，两三天才能缓过劲，而且要多吃几块钱的饭菜，里外里一算没赚一分钱，还累了个半死。最可怜的是放假不回家的同学，像今年寒假时我们预科班有17个同学没钱回家，我们只好给他们腾出一间大房间集体用。他们自己开灶，天天白菜面条，但就这还是过不起，没钱呀！我们几位老师只好借些钱给他们用吧，要不怎么办？大家都知道我们民院的学生穷，其实我们民院的老师也穷，好多都是被学生借穷了。没法。” 成人部的女老师抢过话头，说：“前年有个叫李华的同学，是学生会主席。他帮团委搬家，看到我后便说老师我实在又饿又累不行了。我说你先把活干完了再慰劳你。后来他真到我家来了，我问他你爱吃什么，他说爱吃羊肉。我就上街买了5斤羊肉，回来用高压锅煮好后，摆在桌上看着他吃。结果他竟然狼吞虎咽地全吃光了，我站在一旁看他那饿样，眼泪哗哗地往外流……同学们太可怜了。”女老师最后补充说，“这个李华同学现在毕业了，思想基础很好，自己要求到孔繁森工作过的西藏最艰苦的阿里地区，一年了，进步非常快，听说已经提了一级职务。” 政法和历史系的老师说他们班上有几个宿舍的同学自己组织起来，成立了生活互助小组，搭帮过日子。这可是个从来没听说过的事，于是晚上采访时我让老师把两个不同类型的“搭帮社”的同学找来介绍情况。 刘圣育同学先发言，他是文秘专业的学生，入学前是在西藏驻军某部当战士，初中文化，军龄四年。老家在四川德阳，1995年考上西藏民院。他说到这个学校上学后，生活费不够，一个月100元只能天天吃馒头和豆腐，他很不适应。在部队工作也艰苦，但吃饱饭绝不成问题。学校不行了，长期下去身体会垮的。刘圣育在部队当过班长和团首长的公务员，心眼就是比别人多一些。他想到了部队的集体伙食，于是先同一名要好的同学合帮搭伙，俩人早晨打两个馒头，一人一碗稀饭，两毛钱一份辣豆腐；中午吃米饭，可打一个菜，晚上同中午基本一样。一月下来每人90元就差不多了，比单吃省10元，菜略好些。刘圣育就想再多几个人就可能更省钱吃得更好些，于是他就联合了五个困难生搭帮合伙。“不能太多了，五个人比较合适。”他说，“五个人搭帮打饭打菜就可以有所选择了，通常我们打三四个菜，有荤有素，这样不至于天天光吃馒头不吃菜，没营养。我们平时五个人只用两个人的饭卡，尽量先省后宽，把省下来的钱备急用。五人合伙后每月每人花上六七十元就够了，省下的钱就可以买些日常生活用品和买些书。另外有时五个人中有人病了，需要营养，我们也好有钱给他补补。从1996年初到现在，我们五人一直在一起吃，这样做解决了各自的经济困难。过去一人单吃，看到别人吃好的自己心里就很不平衡，时间长了会不同程度造成某种心理畸形，现在我们一点也不，就是吃得再不好也是几个人在一起，不会觉得怎么着。长期吃在一起就吃出感情来了，互相之间有什么问题有什么困难都能照应。去年我们'搭伙'中的一个同学得了肺炎住院，如果他是一个人就难了，后来我们另外四人便用课余时间轮换去陪床，并且用我们共同的饭卡为他买些好吃的，尽力帮助他渡过难关。几年来，我们五个人就像自家兄弟，生活上互相照顾，学习上互相促进。班上许多有困难的同学向我们学习这种做法，现在我们全班几十个同学基本没有一个人是单吃的，这是我们穷学生想出的穷办法，毛主席说，'穷则思变'，看来管点用。” 接着发言的是藏族学生索朗加措，他说他是历史系的，他们是以宿舍为单位合帮搭伙，互相帮助。全宿舍七个同学，六个是藏族，一个是回族。索朗加措说：“刚进校时大家互相还不了解。后来其中有个叫普琼的同学家庭特别贫困，身上带了1000元钱以为就可以把学业念完了，可一交学费后两手空空，连馒头都吃不起。我们同宿舍的人知道后，便自发起来帮助他，可我们又都很穷，给钱是给不起呀！后来一商量，这样吧：让普琼与我们一起吃，我们六人也合起来用餐，我们有啥好吃的，普琼也吃啥。就这样，几年来普琼一直跟我们生活在一起。他家里从没给过他钱，如果不是大家的帮助，普琼说早想退学了。现在不一样了，他成了我们同一'家庭'里的一名成员，有饭一起吃，有书一起看，即便用牙膏也是大家一起使。我们的宿舍还被系里评为'文明宿舍'，某种意义上讲，这个先进是'穷'出来的。” 同学们互救的行为与精神，谁听了都会感动。我甚至想，对那些目前因经济困难而尚不能生活自理的贫困同学来说，西藏民族学院的同学们的办法，不失为一种“经验”。然而尽管同学们想尽了一切可以想到的做法，西藏民族学院的领导们头痛的事还不少，那就是困难学生的身体问题。照理这个学院为国家培养进藏人才除了学习知识外，还应当有强健的体魄。可是由于同样的原因，贫困地区招收的学生，其身体素质也同样存在不少问题，加之上大学后必要的营养不能跟上，一些过去潜在的病况便不断暴露出来。目前这个学院光患肝病的学生就有6名，光这6名学生一年便要花去学院几万元医疗费。就在我到咸阳不久，学院又有一名重病号需要急救，一次就得花去2万多元。这事拿到校长办公会上研究了几次，最后还是无可奈何地由校长亲自批了。一位老师说，去年我们全校总共花了十几万医疗费，现在他一个学生就花掉这么多，还剩下我们几千人咋办？校长们对此只好回避，其实谁都知道，校领导们比谁都害怕学生中突然冒出个重病号来，那重病号一出，要命的不光是病号本人，可是全校几千号人哪！ 这是那些没有生病人说的话，再来听听几位病号学生是怎么说的。 王辉，政法系97级学生，湖南人。父亲于1982年去世，在上大学前他家里已借债近万元。1997年10月份王辉查出乙肝病。按规定他应休学治病，由于贫困的家里不可能让他得到很好的治疗，于是他申请边上学边治疗。学校最后便同意了。王辉现在在学院医院治疗，至今他本人已花去5000多元，另还欠1500元没付。他的这些钱都是从叔叔、姑姑那儿借的，现在他说已经借不到了。可他的病在前些日子检查时有几项指标仍不行，医生说他必须注意休息与营养。可王辉说这两项他几乎无一项可能做到，因为他要跟上课程就必须天天上课和把住院时间缺的课补上。另一方面为了能在学校生活下去，他必须做点事，比如帮助哪个同学或哪位老师干点抄抄写写的活，由于目前他的吃用什么的都是同学和老师在帮助，他觉得自己不能受恩太多。他说这样下去快到一年了，自己对能不能在休学的期限内把病看好表示悲观。“如果到时病治不好，学校若要我退学，我觉得自己难有勇气再活下去……”王辉说得很凄凉。 郭明，95级行管专业。家住河北省最北的张家口某小山村。父亲是位月收入80元的民办老教师，母亲是地道的农民。郭明原来是94级学生，因有病休学一年。他的四口之家在他上大学开始就连遭不幸。1995年元旦，弟弟心脏病猝发，全家变卖了全部家产仍未挽回一个年轻的生命。两年之后的1997年元旦，郭明重涉弟弟之难，也被从西安急送到北京安贞医院，被确诊为死亡率极高的家族遗传性心血管疾病——“马凡氏综合症”，生命危在旦夕，急需手术，而做这样一例手术需八九万元。一个尚未从沉重悲痛与债务负担中缓过劲的贫困家庭，无论如何也无法承担如此巨大的经济负荷。因此，郭明的父亲急得团团转。郭明的学院尽了所能，在经费极其困难的情况下拨出2万元，但这还差得很远很远。郭明的事被《北京青年报》的一名记者知道后，及时在报上向社会连发了两次求助报道，共捐得19万元。后又经多次努力及医院的慷慨相助，郭明的生命终于得到了挽救。郭氏一家真是祸不单行，就在父亲为儿子到处磕头求助时，郭明的父亲也被确诊为同一种病，并送进了同一所医院……郭明为了抢救父亲的生命，在自己还属于治疗阶段便不顾一切地提前出了医院。他拖着瘦弱的身体回到老家，挨家挨户磕头，又到地方政府请求相助，他的孝心与一家的不幸感动了父老乡亲和有关部门，安贞医院也做出了极大援助，用最少的钱把郭明的父亲从手术台上抢救回一条命。郭氏父子的命保住了，但并没有根治掉病魔。郭明说：“我父亲那头先不提，现在光我一个人，仍要不停吃药，而且每半年必须上北京检查一次，每次检查500元，还不算来回路费。我是学生，哪儿来钱？只有靠学校了。我知道学校已经为我付出了很多钱，但没法，我还得找学校，要不只有死路一条！”郭明不像王辉，他看待生命似乎就是那么回事了。但毕竟他还年轻，他说他现在最期望有个好身体，将来虽然可能不允许再上西藏了，但还是能拿到个大学文凭的好，否则像自己的这种情况哪个单位还要嘛。 王辉和郭明仅是西藏民族学院一批病号学生中的两个例子，那些躺在医院的我来不及采访…… 临别那天，院长次旺俊美与我进行了长谈。他指出：尽管他们的民院面临很多困难，但民院上上下下从来没有一个人跟别人横向比，他们的心目中始终把国家和西藏建设的重任放在第一位。在这里的教育工作者，他们都清楚地明白自己肩负的特殊使命。而在这里上大学的学生更明白，他们的前途，不是毕业后拿到高工资和留洋出国，而是义无返顾地去最艰苦的地方工作，并且通常是一辈子献身在那渺无人烟的雪域高原。次旺俊美让我转告全国人民的是他们的学生和学院暂时遇到的困难，并没有消磨他们为建设西藏而献身的革命意志，他们只是希望祖国人民和所有热血的爱国者，能在可能的情况下，不要忘了他们这批人…… 我向次旺俊美院长保证，祖国人民绝不会忘记他们，并且一定会有人向他们伸出援助之手的！ 我们一起期待吧。