fictionpage Chapter 3281 Children's Representative
Chapter 3281 Children's Representative
Chapter 3281 Children's Representative
As evening approached, Xiaobai and Xiaomi sat in the front row. Liuliu, unusually quiet, rested her chin on her hand and stared at the TV screen. Xier, Chengcheng, Dudu, and Xiaoweiwei were all there. Even Robin sat in a corner instead of patrolling the yard with her bright yellow inflatable fork.
"Come and see!" Liuliu waved to Xiaobai, her voice trembling with excitement, "News! News from the district!"
On the television screen, a clip from last night's press conference was playing. A spokesperson for the Pujiang District government stood behind a podium, with a blue backdrop displaying "Practical Projects for People's Livelihood" behind him.
"...The first three pilot subdistricts will simultaneously launch the 'Midnight School' project, modeled after Little Red Horse School, to provide after-school care, interest development, and social integration services for dual-income families and children in need..."
"...Special thanks to Little Red Horse Academy for their valuable experience and assistance..."
The news broadcast echoed in the reading room. The children watched quietly, even Robin forgot to yawn.
“It’s true,” Xiaomi said softly, the handwriting on the notebook in her hand neat and clear. “When Director Huang said it last night, I still felt like I was dreaming.”
"It's true! It's true!!" Liuliu stood up, hands on her hips. "I dreamt about counting money last night, no, I was dreaming about how many new friends I'd make!"
……
Amidst the laughter and conversation, Zhang Tan walked over and asked with a smile, "You've all been watching the news?"
"Look!" everyone answered in unison.
Zhang Tan's gaze swept over every little face as he said, "The district is moving very quickly. The first coordination meeting for the pilot program will be held tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM. The heads of the three pilot sub-districts, the Education Bureau, the Civil Affairs Bureau, and us will all be attending."
He paused for a moment and then said, "I want to bring a child representative along so that everyone can hear the children's true thoughts."
The classroom fell silent instantly. Liu Liu's eyes lit up, and she was about to raise her hand when she saw Xiao Bai already raising his hand high.
"Me, me, me! I'll represent the children!"
Liuliu quickly raised her hand, but then Boss Zhang said, "Okay, then Xiaobai will go. Get ready tomorrow, we'll leave at 9:30."
"Hey, hey, hey? Me too! I raised my hand too! Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang? Why did you leave..."
As Liu Liu spoke, she watched Mr. Zhang leave.
……
The next day, Zhang Tan took Xiaobai from Little Red Horse Academy. The district government's conference room was very large, with an oval table that could seat more than twenty people. The tablecloth was dark red, and each seat had a nameplate, bottled water, a notebook, and a pen in front of it.
When Xiaobai followed Zhang Tan and Aunt Huang in, the meeting was already preparing to begin.
The directors and deputy directors of the three pilot subdistricts, several section chiefs and deputy section chiefs from the Education Bureau and Civil Affairs Bureau, as well as Deputy Director Li whom I had met before, were all seated. Staff member Xiao Zhao, acting as the liaison, sat near the door taking notes.
Everyone was stunned when they saw Zhang Tan bring in a little girl.
“And this is…” a middle-aged woman wearing glasses asked tentatively.
“Xiaobai, the children’s representative from Little Red Pony Academy.” Zhang Tan calmly pulled out a chair for Xiaobai to sit down, and sat next to her. “Today’s meeting is about Midnight Academy, so we should listen to the children’s voices.”
A few seconds of awkward silence fell over the meeting room. A street committee director cleared his throat and spoke first: "Mr. Zhang, we understand your concerns. However, today's discussion is quite specific, including things like site selection, renovation standards, fire safety inspections, and staff recruitment..."
“Of course these things need to be discussed,” Aunt Huang said, her smile gentle but her tone firm. “But first we need to figure out what exactly we want to build. Is it another after-school care center, or a home like Little Red Horse?”
Deputy Director Li nodded: "Director Huang is right. The first topic today is to clarify the core concept."
The meeting officially began. Staff distributed materials, and a PowerPoint presentation was projected.
The details of the three pilot streets—site conditions, area, number of children in the surrounding communities, and estimated operating costs—were reviewed page by page.
Xiao Bai listened quietly. She could understand the numbers and charts. She had learned about them in school math class, and Zhang Tan would sometimes discuss simple business models with her at home, but she paid more attention to the tone of voice of these adults.
"...It has an area of 120 square meters, which can be divided into a study area, a reading area, a game area..."
"...Hire two full-time teachers, with at least a college diploma and a teaching certificate..."
"...The fee standard is 30% lower than that of market-based custody institutions..."
"...Establish a parent communication group to provide daily feedback on the children's situation at the kindergarten..."
Xiao Bai recalled what Little Red Horse Park was like when it first opened. Back then, there weren't so many rules. Aunt Huang would bring out her homemade cookies, Li Baibai would tell stories and let everyone listen to the radio in the yard, and Boss Zhang would play football with them in the yard…
When the PowerPoint presentation turned to the "Special Activity Design" page, the staff began to introduce: "We can set up interest groups for art, music, calligraphy..."
"Excuse me," Xiaobai's voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone in the conference room looked at her.
"Are these extracurricular classes you mentioned mandatory?" Xiaobai asked.
The staff member hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well... of course it's voluntary, but we will design a variety of courses to meet the needs of different children..."
“If there’s a child who doesn’t want to attend any extracurricular classes,” Xiaobai continued, “he just wants to sit in the yard and watch the ants, is that okay?”
The meeting room fell even quieter. A younger section chief smiled: "Young man, we built this academy to promote the all-round development of children; we can't let them waste their time..."
“Watching ants is not a waste of time.” Xiaobai’s voice was soft, but every word was clear. “Chengcheng from Little Red Horse used to love watching ants. She even drew an ant diary and wrote it into her stories.”
She paused, then continued, "If the new school requires students to attend extracurricular classes, then children like Chengcheng might not dare to come."
Deputy District Chief Yuan didn't come today, but last night he specifically instructed us to listen to Xiao Hongma's opinions.
"So what's your suggestion?" Deputy Director Li asked gently.
Before Xiaobai arrived, she made a list with her group of girlfriends last night. She reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook.
She opened her notebook, placed it on the table, and read aloud: "The first rule is to give children freedom. Not all time needs to be scheduled for activities. Sometimes, daydreaming, wandering around, and figuring things out on their own can lead to the best games."
She turned the page.
"Secondly, teachers are not administrators, but close friends. They can't always say 'don't do this' or 'don't do that,' but they need to be able to connect with the children."
……
"Article Thirteen: This is not a school, but a place where children can be carefree after school."
Page after page, Xiaobai read thirteen items.
The meeting room was completely silent.
Xiaobai concluded, "These aren't rules, they're tacit understandings. The atmosphere at Little Red Horse is built up little by little through these small things. If the new school only has a beautiful building and great courses, but lacks these tacit understandings, then it's just... another kindergarten."
Silence fell over the meeting room.
Then, the bespectacled female neighborhood director smiled first, her eyes softening: "My daughter is in fifth grade this year. The thing she says most often after school is, 'Mom, I'm so tired, I have to go to programming class again today.' If there were a place where she could just... be a child, that would be so wonderful."
Another male director with gray hair sighed and said, "We always want to give the children the best—the best facilities, the best courses, and the best future. But sometimes we forget to ask whether they are happy now."
Deputy Director Li looked at Zhang Tan and Aunt Huang and said earnestly, "We will incorporate all these suggestions into the pilot program."
The atmosphere completely changed in the second half of the meeting.
The focus of the discussion shifted from "how to standardize management" to "how to retain the warmth of non-standard practices"; from "how to set performance indicators" to "how to determine if the children genuinely like this place"...
Xiaobai didn't speak up again, but every suggestion in her notebook was repeatedly mentioned, refined, and implemented into actionable steps by the adults.
When the meeting ended, it was past noon.
The staff began tidying up the materials. Deputy Director Li deliberately walked up to Xiaobai, bent slightly, and extended his hand with his palm facing upward, as if treating an equal partner.
"Xiao Bai, thank you for today." His expression was solemn. "You've taught us a lesson."
Xiao Bai grasped his hand and said earnestly, "Thank you for listening."
On the way back to Little Red Horse, Zhang Tan drove and looked at Little White sitting in the back seat in the rearview mirror, asking, "Are you tired?"
"It's not tiring, it's easier than running."
Aunt Huang sat with her in the back row and said with a smile, "You did a great job today. I'll treat you to something nice when we get back. What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you."
Xiao Bai said, "Hehehe, I want to eat my aunt's braised chicken with chestnuts, but don't tell her that I ordered it, otherwise she will complain that I'm ordering her around."
Aunt Huang laughed and said, "I did a good job. I'll make some for you later and see if it tastes good."
"Okay! Thank you, Aunt Huang!" Xiaobai said, then changed the subject, "Old man, if the new school is really built, more children will have a place to go, right?"
Looking at her earnest face in the rearview mirror, Zhang Tan said, "Yes! More children can have a warm place to go at night."