From 7 to 9 January, CELE was proud to deliver an on-site teacher training programme for rural English teachers in Xing'an County, Jiangxi Province, as part of the Rural English Advancement Programme (REAP). Funded by the UNNC Education Foundation and CELE, this initiative focuses on teacher development in under-resourced areas, advancing teaching equity and fostering sustainable educational development with long-term impact.

Delivered by the teaching team of Yuan Yuan, John O’Hara and Virginia Parker, with Whale Chen as programme coordinator, the visit began with a full day of classroom observation at Xing'an Experimental Primary School and Xing'an No.3 Middle School. The team observed lessons at both elementary and middle school levels, focusing on key teaching challenges and student engagement. These observations were followed by discussions with local teachers to identify classroom needs and refine the subsequent training sessions.

On 8-9 January, structured professional training sessions were held, with one day for primary school teachers and one day for middle school teachers, that engaged nearly 100 educators. The training emphasised practical, locally applicable strategies to enhance classroom effectiveness and support teachers’ long-term professional growth.

Since launching the Rural English Advancement Programme in 2017, CELE has delivered over 100 training activities nationwide, supporting more than 700 teachers working in approximately 300 rural schools. These efforts have helped to strengthen the foundations of English education in under-resourced communities and contributed to sustainable teacher development.

 CELE will continue to invest in rural English education, enhancing UNNC’s capacity to promote sustainable educational practices and contributing to broader social progress. Through sustained engagement and professional expertise, the initiative demonstrates how education can serve as a pathway to greater teaching equity, long-term impact and social development.