STORY: Helping girls fulfill college dream: renowned teacher sees off students for gaokao
DATELINE: June 9, 2023
LENGTH: 0:02:15
LOCATION: KUNMING, China
CATEGORY: EDUCATION

SHOTLIST:
1 various of senior students to attend the national college entrance exam
2 various of Zhang Guimei
3 SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHANG GUIMEI, Principal, Huaping Senior High School for Girls
4 various of see-off ceremony for senior students at Huaping Senior High School for Girls
5 SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): Students
6 SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHANG GUIMEI, Principal, Huaping Senior High School for Girls
7 SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): Students
8 SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): ZHANG GUIMEI, Principal, Huaping Senior High School for Girls
9 SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): Students
10 SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): ZHANG GUIMEI, Principal, Huaping Senior High School for Girls
11 SOUNDBITE 8 (Chinese): Students
12 various of the Huaping Senior High School for Girls

STORYLINE:

China's national college entrance exam, also known as "gaokao," kicked off on Wednesday.

It is deemed the most important event for Chinese students.

In Huaping county, southwest China's Yunnan Province, 66-year-old renowned teacher Zhang Guimei has kept on accompanying her students for gaokao for the past decade.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHANG GUIMEI, Principal, Huaping Senior High School for Girls
"Don't run too fast, senior students. Slow down this morning!"

She also joined the see-off ceremony for her students on the first day of gaokao and waited for them outside the exam rooms, praying for their good performance in the test.

After the exam, students found her in the canteen.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): Students
"Thank you so much! May I give you a hug? Please take care of yourself!"

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHANG GUIMEI, Principal, Huaping Senior High School for Girls
"You should go home now."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): Students
"You must take good care of yourself!"

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): ZHANG GUIMEI, Principal, Huaping Senior High School for Girls
"I will, I will."

SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): Students
"You must take care of your health."

SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): ZHANG GUIMEI, Principal, Huaping Senior High School for Girls
"I know, I know. I will be waiting for you to graduate from college. You should go home now. Your families are all waiting for you at home."

SOUNDBITE 8 (Chinese): Students
"Goodbye, Teacher Zhang!"

In 2001, Huaping County established a home for homeless children, and Zhang became the president and has since been working hard to raise them.

She helped establish China's first senior high school to offer free education to girls from poor families.

Since the Huaping Senior High School for Girls opened in 2008, nearly 2,000 students graduating from the school have been enrolled into universities or colleges.

Due to years of hard work, Zhang's health deteriorated continuously. However, she never gives up.

Instead, she said she'd like to be a lamp in the mountains, lighting up the way forward for the girls.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kunming, China.
(XHTV)