Wei Guoji plays basketball with students at Tuogua Primary School at Tuogua village in Zuodeng Yao ethnic township of Tiandong county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept 3, 2019. Located in remote mountains of Tiandong county, Tuogua Primary School is over 60 km away from the county seat, to which only a rugged mountain road can lead. The 53-year-old Wei Guoji, a native to the village, is the principal of the village school. Wei was recruited as a substitute teacher of the school after graduation from junior high school at the age of 18 in 1984, and became a formal teacher in the next year. For the past 35 years, he has devoted himself to his work at the school, seeing batches of students graduating here. In recent years, with the carrying out of the work on poverty reduction by relocating impoverished people who live in harsh environments, many children have moved out of mountainous areas with their parents and started to study at schools near the county seat. The number of this primary school's students thus has decreased from 200 at the highest to 28 now. To optimize education resources, local authorities plan to merge Tuogua Primary School into a central primary school in township. "Teachers here are so happy to see our kids receive better education." said Wei. [Photo/Xinhua]
Wei Guoji gives a class at Tuogua Primary School at Tuogua village in Zuodeng Yao ethnic township of Tiandong county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept 3, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
Wei Guoji prepares lessons at the office of Tuogua Primary School at Tuogua village in Zuodeng Yao ethnic township of Tiandong county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept 3, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
Tang Shangjun decodes a math question at home in Wuhan village of Anhua county in Yiyang city, Central China's Hunan province, Sept 7, 2019. A wooden house stands alone in the deep mountains covered by a vibrant leafy blanket of trees, not only as a dwelling, but also as a classroom where Tang Shangjun has been tutoring students for more than 20 years. Tang, a 92-year-old rural teacher, started tutoring children left behind by their migrant parents free of charge in Wuhan village in 1997, 10 years after he retired from teaching in Anhua county. As the village has limited access to teaching resources, Tang makes the trek to the county, even Beijing to buy teaching materials tailored for students. He also reads books and takes notes every day to increase his reserve of test questions. A smartphone, which Tang asked others to buy in the county, would help when he cannot answer test questions on his own. "As long as kids love studying, I will stay at my post even within an inch of life," said Tang. [Photo/Xinhua]
Tang Shangjun reads questions via a magnifier at home in Wuhan village of Anhua county in Yiyang city, Central China's Hunan province, Sept 7, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
Tang Shangjun (L) tutors a student in physics at his home in Wuhan village of Anhua county in Yiyang city, Central China's Hunan province, Sept 7, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
Tu Youyou (front) teaches students taekwondo at Shangban Primary School in Luoting township, Wanli district of Nanchang city, East China's Jiangxi province, Sept 2, 2019. After graduating from normal education major in 2013, Tu worked as an assistant in a training institution and did community work, but she always dreamed of being a teacher. In 2016, she passed the teacher recruitment examination of Jiangxi province and became a rural teacher. In the past three years, Tu has won the recognition of her students' parents. Now, the 29-year-old rural teacher is the principal of Shangban Primary School. In the school, most of students are left-behind children. Tu found that many of them were interested in music, dance, painting and sports. To enrich children's life, she invited voluntary teachers in 2018 to set up various courses, including dance, piano, taekwondo and tennis, and studied piano on her own for teaching. Students call her "sister principal" and are willing to share their stories with her. [Photo/Xinhua]
Tu Youyou (2nd L) gives an English lesson at Shangban Primary School in Luoting township, Wanli district of Nanchang city, East China's Jiangxi province, Sept 2, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
Tu Youyou plays the piano to welcome students during an opening ceremony of new semester at Shangban Primary School in Luoting township, Wanli district of Nanchang city, East China's Jiangxi province, Sept 1, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
