| 广东侨乡行华侨捐资办学成风气
再来继续我们第三天的广东侨乡之行。广东省开平市赤坎古镇关氏和司徒氏两大家族的华侨不仅仅出资建立了公共图书馆，还纷纷捐资办学。华侨们的善举让越来越多的赤坎孩子受益，而这座小小的古镇也一直都保持着浓厚的文化氛围。
20世纪初期，赤坎早年赴海外的华侨历尽艰辛，稳住了脚跟。有了积蓄之后，很多人便回到家乡来置办产业。虽然这些华侨多以经商致富，但自幼深受“万般皆下品，唯有读书高”的熏陶，所以极其重视教育。
(采访)原开平市博物馆馆长张健文：我们赤坎最重要的特点就是华侨的历史。由于每家每户早期都有华侨出国去，他们的工作都很辛苦的。他觉得他们的文化不够，所以就对他们的子弟要求很高，要求他们读书，长知识，以后让他们后代的文明程度提高了。
司徒健彬是赤坎教伦中学的校长。这座学校就是由司徒家族的华侨捐资建成的。
(采访)开平市教伦中学校长司徒健彬：在我们本地有一句话叫做，用笔筒量米，也要让孩子读书，这个笔筒，那么小的东西，用这个来量米，就是说家里已经非常贫穷了，但也还是要找机会让孩子去读书当时这个地方的教育还比较落后，所以从香港回来的港澳台同胞，就先后花了四年的时间，从筹集资金选定地方，到1988年，这所学校就正式创办起来了。
司徒家族创办了教伦中学，而在这之前，关族的华侨就已经创建了一所名为光裕的中学。不仅仅是两大家族，赤坎的很多华侨都争先恐后地在这里捐资办学，例如这座护龙小学就是由当地姓邓的华侨捐资建立的。小小的赤坎地区先后建了十多所学校，华侨们的善举和华侨学校多元化的教学方式让越来越多的赤坎孩子们受益。
胡凤萍2006年从赤坎考入天津南开大学。她说赤坎每一个学生都总是会把华侨的资助铭记于心。
(采访)天津南开大学学生胡凤萍：基本上我到每一所学校，都曾经有华侨在这里做了捐助什么的，我很早就定了一个目标，就是说，如果以后我有什么成绩的话，我肯定是回去捐助家乡。
华侨捐资文化教育事业在那里已俨然成为一种风气，赤坎人也将把这种精神继续传递下去。
Overseas Chinese fund education at hometown in Guangdong
Let’s continue with our tour of Guangdong expatriates hometown for the third day. Guan family and Situ family in Chikan Old Town, Kaiping in the province have contributed money to build public library and to fund education. Their deeds benefit more and more children in the hometown. The small old town has long since remained in a cultural atmosphere.
Early in the 20 century, the overseas Chinese from Chinkan carved out a place abroad after long efforts. With money, they came back to develop their hometown. Though they were successful in business, they attached much importance to education, because they had once suffered a lot from lack of education.
Zhang Jianwen, Former Curator Kaiping Library ：The town’s history of going abroad plays an important role, since every family has people going abroad in early times when their lives were very hard. They found their education was not enough, so they required their children to have more education and become more civilized.
Situ Jianbin is Principal of Chikan Jiaolun Middle School, which was built with donation of his family.
Situ Jianbin, Principal of Chikan Jiaolun Middle School：In the town there is a saying that no matter how poor the family is, they will go to any lengths to send their children to school.
At that time education there was backward. Compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan spent four years in raising money and locating place for the school, and at last erected the school in 1988.
Before the establishment of Jiaolun Middle School, Guan family built the Guangyu Middle School. Besides these two large families, many other expatriates have been funding education in the town. This elementary school was built by a Deng family. A dozen of schools have been set up in this town. The overseas Chinese deeds and advanced teaching model benefit more and more local children.
Hu Fengping entered Nankai University in Tianjin in 2006. She said every student in Chikan will for ever remember expatriates’ donation.
Hu Fengping, student in Nankai University：Nearly most of my schools have received donation from overseas Chinese. I have a dream that one day when I am successful, I will make donation to help my hometown.
It has become a custom to fund education in the town and the locals will carry on this spirit. |
