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Maggie Barry interviews Rewi Alley about building the new Shandan Bailie School, and his life in China.
Rewi Alley speaks about the difficulties faced while building the new school - including sourcing timber, and funding the project. The school has received donations from New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.
The previous Bailie School, for training students for industry, was established in the 1940s but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1953. The new school will train people in agriculture, forestry, and animal husbandry. When the first school was set up there was quite a bit of resistance from local and central Chinese government. There is more support for the new school.
The new school will open later in the month [April 1987] - Rewi speaks about what it means personally to him, saying it is an inspiration. He will not be able to attend the opening due to health troubles with his heart. 1987 marks the 60th anniversary of Alley's arrival in China. He says he is grateful for his time spent in China, and he has no desire to travel abroad again.
The new school will cater for up to 600 students, though it will start off with around 170.
The interview concludes with Rewi Alley talking about how he spends his time living in Beijing, and his recently published autobiography.