Chapter 2753

Of course, Su Xinghui also knew that there were too few young people like Yang Peng who were willing to return to their hometown to teach after graduation. Otherwise, the current state of education in Baozhou City would not be what it was; most young teachers had left their hometowns to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

Su Xinghui nodded and said, "Such teachers are rare. You must do your best to keep him in your township!"

Principal Pan's expression immediately turned somber, and he said, "I don't know if we can keep him. The teachers haven't been paid for several months this year."

Su Xinghui said to Luo Quanyou, "Comrade Luo Quanyou, no matter how poor we are, we cannot be poor in education; no matter how hard things are, we cannot make it hard on the children. Your township government must, at all costs, guarantee the teachers' salaries and the children's classrooms."

Luo Quanyou nodded silently, and the township cadres behind him also lowered their heads.

At this moment, Principal Pan said, "Mayor Su, you don't quite understand the situation. The township government cadres this year haven't received two months of their salaries either, and Secretary Luo hasn't even received his own salary!"

Su Xinghui was shocked. He looked at Luo Quanyou and asked, "Is what Principal Pan said true?"

Luo Quanyou replied, "Old Pan, why are you saying this? This is our own incompetence to begin with. If you haven't been paid, how could we have the face to take our pay? The township really has no money right now; otherwise, we would have definitely paid your salaries first."

Principal Pan said, "I have to say it. I can't just watch you take the blame for this. The situation in Funiu Mountain really cannot be blamed on you. You aren't even a local; you're from the county seat. It's already not easy for you to come to Funiu Township to serve as Secretary. If you haven't even received your salary and then have to endure criticism from your superiors, wouldn't that be too unjust?"

Luo Quanyou said, "It is right for me to be criticized. I have been in Funiu Township for several years, yet the face of Funiu Township hasn't changed much. I am responsible for this!"

Su Xinghui was shocked by their conversation. He truly had not expected a township to be so poor that even the Secretary himself had not received his salary.

Of course, it might not be true that they couldn't even pay the Secretary's salary, but rather that Luo Quanyou was leading by example and sharing the hardships. Only by doing this could he possibly quell the complaints of the many township cadres.

But no matter how he did it, this Luo Quanyou was having a very difficult time. Su Xinghui had worked at the grassroots level himself and knew how hard the work down there was.

Su Xinghui didn't say anything more. He walked silently through the small campus of the township primary school, looking at the teachers' dormitories and students' dormitories that were drafty on all sides, and even Principal Pan's own home, which was also drafty everywhere and no better than anyone else's house.

After looking at the township primary school, Su Xinghui went to the township middle school. The situation at the middle school was not much better than the primary school; the school buildings were equally dilapidated, which made Su Xinghui feel very heavy-hearted.

Su Xinghui immediately held an on-site meeting at the entrance of the dilapidated student dormitory of the middle school. He said, "Director Luo, County Magistrate Xing, County Magistrate Du, Secretary Luo, you all take a look at this student dormitory, and the classrooms over there. They are so broken, how can people live in them? How can students have classes inside? In another month or so, there will be heavy snow. When the time comes and the snow collapses the houses, who among you can take responsibility for this?"

The few of them looked at each other in dismay. It was true; with such dilapidated houses, if there were heavy snow, it really might collapse the buildings. If students were injured or even killed, no one could bear that responsibility.

Su Xinghui continued, "You cannot bear this responsibility, and neither can I. Therefore, I am holding an on-site meeting here today. I ask you all to state your positions and see how this matter should be resolved."

How to resolve it? In fact, the collapse of school buildings due to heavy snow happened every year. However, no major incidents had occurred yet because every time a school building was at risk of collapse, the students were transferred and the building stopped being used before the snow fell, or classes were even temporarily suspended and students were sent home for the holidays.

It was precisely because of these measures that no student casualties had occurred here yet. However, there was one time when Principal Pan of the township primary school was checking the condition of a dangerous building and was hit in the head by tiles falling from the roof, requiring his head to be bandaged for several days.

To thoroughly resolve this matter, money had to be spent. As long as money was spent, everything would be easily solved. But the problem was, they had no money now.

Not to mention Luo Guoxiu, their Municipal Education Bureau's annual funding seemed like a lot, but with so many schools in the whole city, there wasn't much left when divided among each school.