Rural School Improvement in Developing Countries

This open access book examines the rural school improvement programs implemented in four developing countries, including China, Myanmar, Uganda, and Kenya. It analyzes research questions such as problems faced by rural schools in these countries, approaches or models adopted to improve these rural schools, specific interventions to address the problems and their effectiveness, and lessons learnt from these programs. It serves as a useful reference for researchers and policy makers interested in the field of rural education improvement.

Dr. ZHAO Yuchi is the Executive Director of International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education under the auspices of UNESCO and lecturer in China Institute of Education and Social Development at Beijing Normal University. He worked as a loaned expert in UNESCO Headquarters from April 2019 to October 2021, in the position as the Coordinator of the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and the Coordinator of UNESCO-Hainan Airlines Funds-in-Trust Project. From 2006 to 2011, he served as the Executive Deputy Director of National Project Management Office for China-UK Southwest Basic Project (with a funding of 27 million Pounds). His research interests are education and international development, rural teachers' professional development and girls' and women's education.

Dr. Liu Jing works as the director of the Office for International Exchange and Collaboration, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, China. She is responsible for implementing the global engagement strategy of the Faculty of Education. She worked as a program specialist in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED) from 2012 to 2019, with the responsibility to lead the 'Quality Teachers for Rural Schools' program. She has 15 years’ experience in research and practice in teacher education in rural China. She also serves as a consultant for educational Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and provides technical support to improve the quality of teaching and learning.