Yunnan boy tells his story at forum in Beijing

Mei Ziyan, 11, a Bai ethnic student from the experimental primary school of Dali prefecture, Yunnan province, shared his story at the World Youth Development Forum, which was held in Beijing last week.

"My school is located on the foot of Cangshan Mountain. It is as beautiful as a garden. What I like most is its collection of more than 8,000 books. We can enjoy a sea of books in the modern electronic reading room," Mei said at the Thematic Forum for Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education on July 30.

He wants the world to know the variety and enrichment of his activities at school and to tell about China's efforts and contributions to the development of inclusive and equitable quality education in poverty alleviation.

"We can make friends with peers in big cities like Shanghai, as the school has access to high-speed internet," Mei said. "In addition to classroom study, we also have a variety of activities. We carry out wetland biological research, strive to be a small guardian of environmental protection and to protect the beautiful earth."

He further expressed his hopes: "I want children around the world to have a fair chance at quality education. I hope that education does a better job of listening to children and respecting the individuality and diversity of growth. I hope we can happily embrace the times together with children from all over the world and move forward hand in hand for a better future."