Beauty With Brains: 25 Year Old Wins Jack Ma Rural Teacher Award

2016/06/02

Zhang Qianran

Few can identify 25-year-old Chen Qiuju as a devoted rural teacher in a glimpse.

She is the youngest one among Jack Ma Rural Teacher Award-winners. The award founded by business magnate Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba Group, supports China’s front line rural teachers.

Chen Qiuju worked in Leyang primary school in Zhongtian town, Lezhi county, Ziyang City in Sichuan Province.

Now eight years have gone since her first debut as a teacher.

In the school she works, 16 teachers have an average age of 48 years. Chen is the youngest among them and the only one born after 1990. Her dedication can be imagined from the fact that four teachers went to the school after she joined but only one stayed.

The teachers are assigned to take care of 286 pupils and kids in the pre-school. In the term, Chen also substituted for an ill teacher and took up grade six Chinese class.

Apart from that, Chen tutors fifth grade for 5 years.

She said over two-thirds of these 37 students she teachers had their parents working far from hometown and most of them were the only child, looked after by parents or their grandparents.

Chen felt obliged to take care of such students. “They studied well except that I was concerned about their feelings” she added.” Amid the plentiful material conditions, lack of parental care and knowledge fueled their unwillingness to follow the elders. Only teachers’ feedback weighed on them.”

Chen helps her students in every possible way. For example, Chen guarded Chen Xin on her way home. Chen Xin lived in a poor family. Her mother remarried and took her from Yunnan to Sichuan. Her step-father earned a living in a faraway area. Chen Xin prepared breakfast on her own and shepherded sheep after school. Still, Chen Xin did well in studies. Sometimes she got hooked on reading and missed other things.

Little doubt Chen Qiuju is motived to instill sense of thankfulness, love and dedication among her pupils.

Before joining school, Chen was a versatile girl. She joined local Writers’ Association and was a regular writer. Her hobbies included photography, traveling, online-shopping, running WeChat, fishing and barbecue.

The icon teacher Chen Qiuju has toured many places in China and she herself felt enchanted by life there

But when it comes to preach all she experienced to the pupils., her eagerness could be seen in her eyes.

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Beauty With Brains: 25 Year Old Wins Jack Ma Rural Teacher Award

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