Pupils attend class on Tuesday with new desks provided by the local government at Nangang Primary School in Shunhe township, Hubei province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Zhong Fuhai never thought the power of the mass media could equip his students with school desks and chairs, leaving the era of "bring your own desk" behind.
Although suffering a sore throat from endless interviews with reporters in recent days, the 48-year-old teacher at Nangang Primary School in Shunhe township, Hubei province, was cheered by the arrival of new school desks and chairs.
"I've been working here for more than 30 years, and I was used to the lack of desks and chairs at the school. I never thought a news story could help us," Zhong said.
A recent story by the Changjiang Times, a Hubei newspaper, reported that more than 3,000 primary school students in Shunhe had to carry their own desks and chairs to the school due to a shortage of supplies.
The report caught the attention of the public and triggered online discussion.
Local authorities reacted quickly by providing subsidies and initiating donations to those schools.
According to a statement from the publicity department of Macheng, which has jurisdiction over Shunhe, local authorities promised on Wednesday that all students from local primary and middle schools will have desks and chairs provided for them this year.
