In a small school located in Tunshang Village of Yangxi Township, Yujiang County, Jiangxi Province, Wu Chunyou plays varied roles, including schoolmaster, administrator, teacher, babysitter, even janitor. Tunshang is a secluded village, but that didn't mean the village committee could deny any of its children a chance for an education. So Wu must undertake all the work in the school. For 29 years, he has dedicated himself to the school and its students. Along the way, he has had many chances to be promoted or to earn more money through the reputation, qualification, and teaching achievements he has realized. But Wu has chosen to stay.

A versatile person, Wu is skilled at Chinese, mathematics, music, physical education, and fine arts. He has studied pedagogy and psychology. In addition, he has devoted much of his time to the research of teaching methods. Since 1985, he has led Yujiang County in teaching results. At the general examination throughout the county in the first half of 1990, his students were ranked first in three of four subjects: Chinese and mathematics respectively for first-grade and second-grade students. As a teacher for all subjects, he has undertaken training in music, physical education, and fine arts. To enrich himself, he watches videos, learns music scores, and practices painting in his spare time. He does student work before he does teacher work.

Through his studiousness and self-discipline, Wu has been elected as one of the Excellent Teachers in Integrated Teaching of Yujiang County, Yingtan City, and even Jiangxi Province, as well as one of the National Model Laborers in Education. In 1996, he was honored with a second prize by the Tsang Hin-chi Education Foundation. (Tsang is a Hong Kong entrepreneur famous for his Goldlion brand, who started his business from scratch and is now known as the King of Neckties).

Over the past 29 years, Wu has taught and nurtured more than 600 students, including four who later entered college and a dozen who later entered technical school. Wu's students now work in almost every professional field in China.

(China Pictorial December 17, 2004)