1
Now that the majority of the world’s population live in cities, it’s easy to forget that millions still live in the countryside, far from most of the world’s prestigious schools and colleges. In this essay, I will suggest how universities can make it easier for students living far from cities to receive a good education.
It’s not necessarily a good thing for colleges to open physical campuses in rural areas. First of all, land costs money, and building labs, libraries and research units is eye-wateringly expensive. Secondly there is the problem of staff. Not all university staff will be able or will want to relocate to small towns or villages far from their colleagues. A third issue is inefficiency. A tiny campus in a rural area may only serve a few hundred students, compared to extensive facilities for thousands of students in a city. In addition, students in a small campus may miss the interaction and atmosphere of a larger city university.
However, there are many ways to facilitate third level education outside the cities. For one thing, there are many technological solutions. Radio and television have long been used to extend the reach of education, and now almost all bricks-and-mortar universities offer some form of distance education via email or the internet. These are not perfect solutions, but they can work well. Another approach is to offer beginner-level courses in rural campuses and then require students to transfer for their final years. Yet another approach is specialization, where particular departments or faculties disperse across the country, perhaps with agriculture in one province and engineering in another. However, a very important point is to offer scholarships and to have special entry requirements or quotas for students from rural areas. Many people in the countryside may lack the financial resources to live in cities and pay high tuition fees.
In conclusion, many universities nowadays welcome diversity and equality in their policies and student bodies. It’s important for them to also make sure that students from rural areas
2
Rural College Campuses
The Great Outdoors at Your Dorm's Doorstep
Rural colleges, usually near wilderness areas, have educational opportunities related to science and nature—not to mention fun outdoor activities. For example, Western State College's proximity to the Rocky Mountains makes it a great school to attend if you're studying geology or an avid hiker.
Hands-On Environmental Studies
Going to a school with access to outdoor facilities gives you a chance for hands-on learning, such as at a working dairy farm or national park. For example, join a research team studying fruit and vegetable crops as part of your agricultural science class at Alcorn State University.
A Haven for Outdoor Enthusiasts
Sports or hobbies such as skiing, rock climbing, fishing, or whitewater rafting may be short trips from the campus or even on campus. Of course, activities are local to the area. Don't go to school in Vermont to play beach volleyball.
A Way Off Campus
Although the campus is usually the focal point for rural colleges, you'll need transportation to make the most of the area. Don't worry if you don't have a car or a friend who has one. Most rural schools or towns provide free or cheap transportation for college students. Ask about it during a campus visit.
A Sense of Community
Many rural colleges are self-contained. For example, they hold most of their school activities on campus, and organizations and clubs are usually a large part of student life. Plus, most rural schools are residential, with the majority of students living on campus. This self-containment creates a sense of community among students, more so than at suburban or city schools.
A Connection With the Town
Even though rural colleges have their own things going on, they often have a rich relationship with the surrounding community, too. For example, the town is usually the home for many professors, and residents often show support for the college at sport events, lectures, or plays.
3
China has rapidly accomplished economic improvement by the policy of
development which is industry-centered in recent years.
Therefore, a population concentrated in urban areas, and the population of rural areas
has been shrinking rapidly more than a half of population. It’s getting serious problem
to be an aging society because people who are older than 65 years old are increased
more than 2 times, and then again especially youth who are younger than 15 years old
are decreased. That’s why many schools in rural areas have been amalgamated, and the
rural education environment get worse. So a situation is that the parents in farm villages
entrust their children to the school because a family in rural areas does not have enough
time to teach their children or take care of them due to a farm-work. So the parents
naturally can not be concerned about their children. It makes smart students move into
an urban areas due to a lack of facilities, teachers in numbers in comparison with an
urban education environment. As a result, a score gap of rural and urban areas is
getting wider and wider. 1
Now that the majority of the world’s population live in cities, it’s easy to forget that millions still live in the countryside, far from most of the world’s prestigious schools and colleges. In this essay, I will suggest how universities can make it easier for students living far from cities to receive a good education.
It’s not necessarily a good thing for colleges to open physical campuses in rural areas. First of all, land costs money, and building labs, libraries and research units is eye-wateringly expensive. Secondly there is the problem of staff. Not all university staff will be able or will want to relocate to small towns or villages far from their colleagues. A third issue is inefficiency. A tiny campus in a rural area may only serve a few hundred students, compared to extensive facilities for thousands of students in a city. In addition, students in a small campus may miss the interaction and atmosphere of a larger city university.
However, there are many ways to facilitate third level education outside the cities. For one thing, there are many technological solutions. Radio and television have long been used to extend the reach of education, and now almost all bricks-and-mortar universities offer some form of distance education via email or the internet. These are not perfect solutions, but they can work well. Another approach is to offer beginner-level courses in rural campuses and then require students to transfer for their final years. Yet another approach is specialization, where particular departments or faculties disperse across the country, perhaps with agriculture in one province and engineering in another. However, a very important point is to offer scholarships and to have special entry requirements or quotas for students from rural areas. Many people in the countryside may lack the financial resources to live in cities and pay high tuition fees.
In conclusion, many universities nowadays welcome diversity and equality in their policies and student bodies. It’s important for them to also make sure that students from rural areas
2
Rural College Campuses
The Great Outdoors at Your Dorm's Doorstep
Rural colleges, usually near wilderness areas, have educational opportunities related to science and nature—not to mention fun outdoor activities. For example, Western State College's proximity to the Rocky Mountains makes it a great school to attend if you're studying geology or an avid hiker.
Hands-On Environmental Studies
Going to a school with access to outdoor facilities gives you a chance for hands-on learning, such as at a working dairy farm or national park. For example, join a research team studying fruit and vegetable crops as part of your agricultural science class at Alcorn State University.
A Haven for Outdoor Enthusiasts
Sports or hobbies such as skiing, rock climbing, fishing, or whitewater rafting may be short trips from the campus or even on campus. Of course, activities are local to the area. Don't go to school in Vermont to play beach volleyball.
A Way Off Campus
Although the campus is usually the focal point for rural colleges, you'll need transportation to make the most of the area. Don't worry if you don't have a car or a friend who has one. Most rural schools or towns provide free or cheap transportation for college students. Ask about it during a campus visit.
A Sense of Community
Many rural colleges are self-contained. For example, they hold most of their school activities on campus, and organizations and clubs are usually a large part of student life. Plus, most rural schools are residential, with the majority of students living on campus. This self-containment creates a sense of community among students, more so than at suburban or city schools.
A Connection With the Town
Even though rural colleges have their own things going on, they often have a rich relationship with the surrounding community, too. For example, the town is usually the home for many professors, and residents often show support for the college at sport events, lectures, or plays.
3
China has rapidly accomplished economic improvement by the policy of
development which is industry-centered in recent years.
Therefore, a population concentrated in urban areas, and the population of rural areas
has been shrinking rapidly more than a half of population. It’s getting serious problem
to be an aging society because people who are older than 65 years old are increased
more than 2 times, and then again especially youth who are younger than 15 years old
are decreased. That’s why many schools in rural areas have been amalgamated, and the
rural education environment get worse. So a situation is that the parents in farm villages
entrust their children to the school because a family in rural areas does not have enough
time to teach their children or take care of them due to a farm-work. So the parents
naturally can not be concerned about their children. It makes smart students move into
an urban areas due to a lack of facilities, teachers in numbers in comparison with an
urban education environment. As a result, a score gap of rural and urban areas is
getting wider and wider.