Rao Meili, a school master in Changsha county, has recently been recognized as an “Accomplished Teacher in Caring for Left-Behind Children” at the municipal level. Seven other teachers in Changsha city also received the honor.

Rao teaches in Shiban Primary School in Shuangjiang town, situated in the most remote northeast corner of the county. Among the 130 students in the school, 45 are left-behind children; quite a number of them couldn’t afford to go to school due to poor family conditions.

Rao Meili plays with her students in Shiban Primary School in Shuangjiang town, Changsha county. [Photo by Zhang Di]

Besides teaching and administrative work, Rao also works to find “sponsors” for her students so that they don’t drop out of school.

Since 2004, around 100 students in the school have received help with cash assistance under Rao’s efforts. More than 1,000 students received temporary assistance. Not a single child has been dropped from school.

Rao said that nowadays there are fewer poor students than before. On one hand, students in the compulsory education stage no longer need to pay school tuition, and the government’s financial aid policy has improved. On the other hand, with the economy developing, more people in society are willing to help.

“I’ve been a teacher in Shuangjiang town for 34 years. I will carry on with my work in caring for poor children and left-behind children,” Rao said. Her undertakings are as beautiful as her name, the Chinese words meili (beautiful).