An abandoned rural school in Guizhou Province that was built just four years ago with donated funds and is now a garbage dump, has experts accusing the local government of a lack foresight and waste.
The two-story, eight-classroom primary school was originally built with the aim of receiving 200 students from five neighboring villages.
The school's peak enrollment was never more than 30 students.
The school, which is located on a steep mountain slope near the village of Laoshan in the city of Kaili was built with funds from a Hong Kong charity and the city government. Trash heaps can be found in and outside the school, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.
There are conflicting reports about why the school was abandoned. Some say it failed to serve community needs and should never have been built in such an inconvenient location, while others say the school is about to be demolished as it stands in the path of a new highway.
Zhang Jiaofeng, the media officer of the China Youth Development Foundation, which approves the construction of charity schools in China, confirmed the school in Laoshan is now being used as a trash dump.
The school was built in 2009 with a donation of 200,000 yuan ($32,060) from the Ling Chuan Charitable Foundation in Hong Kong and 150,000 yuan from the city government in Kaili, Zhang said.
Long Yunguo, Party chief of Kaili education bureau, told Xinhua that after an earthquake and devastating snow storms in 2008 the village of Laoshan was to be moved to a new location, which would include a new school designed to serve five neighboring villages.
The school was built but the resettlement of the villages never happened.
Now the school building stands in the path of a highway that has been under construction since 2010.
"This was indeed a waste of educational resources," Long told Xinhua Saturday, adding that the last 11 students attending the school were moved to another school in 2010.
Zhang, who was at the school on Friday, said an investigation into the school's demise is underway.
"We have been in touch with the school and are working on the cause and the solution of this case," she said, noting that details of their investigation will be released on Monday.
Outside observers have been critical, saying that the school seems to have been built without much forethought.
Zhu Lijia, director of Public Administration Studies at the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times that local governments should do more research into local needs before they begin a new project.
"This case reflects how the investment was wasted due to negligence and a lack of a proper needs assessment," he said.
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