'Ideas live on'

Wang Wenchang, who has been teaching electromechanical engineering at the school for 26 years, said Alley's fundamental ideas live on.

"The teachers here pay special attention to implementing the 'hands and mind, create and analyze' principles of Rewi Alley," Wang said. "Our graduates are very popular among employers, because they are good at putting knowledge into practice and thinking."

Every year, the New Zealand China Friendship Society, a nonprofit Alley established in 1952, sends one teacher to the school.

"We find the people who are really interested in Rewi Alley's background and the special nature of the school," said David Bromwich, the society's president, who has visited Shandan twice a year since 2001.

"We believe this form of education is still very important. In fact, we think we should have this style of education in New Zealand. It puts hands and minds together. The students not only have classroom instruction, but also practical instruction. Local students are very enthusiastic."

The society also helps Shandan with poverty-alleviation projects, which have included the introduction of advanced agricultural technology and New Zealand sheep breeds.

Apart from teaching English, Forde also helps students prepare for China's national college entrance exam, the gaokao.

"They are pretty energetic. They have goals and they try," Forde said.

Teachers such as Forde have given an immeasurable advantage to the school, said Ma Guohua, an English teacher who also serves as the school's director of international exchange.

"Thanks to the New Zealand teachers, English has always been a strong subject in the school, and there are more interactions between the students and teachers in this school than many other Chinese schools," Ma said.

The connection to New Zealand has offered other advantages as well. Twenty of the school's teachers have had the opportunity of a year's study in New Zealand through exchange programs, and 17 students have visited their sister school in New Zealand.

Ma Yanshun, a 2002 graduate who is now a car dealer in Zhangye, Gansu, said he appreciates the "three meaningful years" he spent at Bailie.

"The school is different because of its historical connection to the developed countries," Ma said. "I developed independent and analytical thinking."