China’s Monthly Hero: Wang Jun, the Teacher Bringing Coding to Rural Schools ✨

In many of China’s cities, coding has already become part of everyday education. Parents enroll their children in expensive training academies, schools invest in advanced computer labs, and technology is seen as a direct pathway to opportunity. Rural China, however, tells a very different story. In small towns and villages, classrooms often struggle with outdated textbooks, limited internet access, and little exposure to the digital tools shaping the modern world. Yet even in this environment, one dedicated teacher has been quietly rewriting the script. His name is Wang Jun, and his mission is simple but powerful: to make coding mainstream for rural students.

Quick Poll: Do you think coding should be taught as early as primary school?

Yes, it’s a basic literacy now
No, it can wait until high school
Unsure, depends on resources

Wang Jun began his career almost twenty years ago as a mathematics teacher in Henan Province. He taught algebra and geometry to children who worked just as hard as their urban counterparts but had fewer resources. Over time, he realized that his students were being left out of the global conversation on technology. For Wang, mathematics explained the logic of the world, but coding offered the ability to build that world in new ways. That realization became the turning point in his teaching journey.

Lacking formal training in computer science, Wang taught himself programming in the evenings. He scoured online tutorials, joined open communities, and leaned on friends who studied engineering at university. Progress was slow, but his determination was steady. After several years of late nights filled with trial and error, he began to feel confident enough to bring coding into his classroom. His first lessons involved simple Python exercises, but they carried a sense of wonder for students who had never imagined they could write commands that made a computer respond.

Did You Know?

China aims to make information technology a mandatory subject across middle schools nationwide by 2030. That means teachers like Wang Jun are ahead of the curve, preparing rural students before the policy fully arrives.

The practical challenges were enormous. His school did not have a computer lab. Most students had never touched a modern laptop. To overcome this, Wang refurbished secondhand computers, convinced local shop owners to sponsor a few devices, and set up a tiny corner in his classroom where students could practice. In 2021, he launched a small coding club. Only a handful of curious students joined at first, but word spread quickly. Within a few years, the club grew into a full program that now reaches more than two hundred students across several grades.

Interactive Highlight: A Student’s Perspective

Hover over each card to see what Wang’s students say about coding.

The results speak for themselves. Students from Wang’s program have competed in national coding contests, often surprising judges with their resourcefulness despite limited equipment. Some of his graduates are now studying computer science at universities, a path they never imagined before meeting him. Local education officials have taken note and are beginning to extend his model to neighboring schools. Wang’s vision is clear: coding should not be a privilege reserved for urban elites. It should be a basic literacy skill for every child growing up in the twenty first century.

Wang Jun is more than a teacher. He is a catalyst for opportunity and a symbol of how dedication can transform lives. By opening the door to coding for rural children, he is shaping not only their futures but also the future of China’s digital economy. For this contribution, ChinaCrunch honors him as the Monthly Hero, a recognition of how one individual’s vision can light up an entire community.