On April 11, Fang Qing, deputy to the 11th and 12th National People’s Congresses (NPC) and famous alumna of Jinhua RTVU, and the President of the Experimental Primary School of Jindong District of Jinhua City, were invited for a return visit to her alma mater Jinhua RTVU to recount her “love practice” as an educator to the assembled teachers.

Touched by her story, the more than one hundred teachers present deeply felt “abundant happiness” bout their professions.   

Fang Qing recalled her memories of being “loyal and pious” and “bearing a thankful mind,” qualities that were heard and seen by her family from Ms. Fang’s childhood. Among the older generation of teachers who made education “so pure” and “with full devotion” in the midst of a hard environment. These memories have been influencing her and her team throughout their lives, and have made them practice the idea of “education of love” throughout their teaching process.

Fang Qing revealed that after being elected as a deputy to the NPC, she continued to pay close attention to rural education. She successively proposed such suggestions as “Stabilizing rural teachers and designing an education system that meets the needs of the people”, “Strongly promoting presidents of rural schools in becoming educators”, and “Reconstructing the method of integrating property ownership and division of powers in compulsory education.” At the Second Session of the 11th NPC, she even had a conversation with the former Premier of the State Council Wen Jiabao, discussing the problems of rural education. She expressed that she would strive tenaciously and never betray the people’s trust, no matter how hard it gets for her as an NPC deputy.

Fang Qing expressed that “love is a practice.” By incorporating the “path of love practice,” she said, one gains “the ability to take care of himself/herself”, “the ability to love one’s own warm family” and “the ability to enjoy one’s own work.” To develop what she called the “education of love,” one must have a correct understanding of oneself, recognize and care for one’s own existence and discipline oneself to maintain peace of mind in a superficial world. As a teacher of the people and an NPC deputy, I should “start with myself and lead by example,” which she stated were her commitments to “the society, the parents and their children.” Throughout the report, the audience applauded and were deeply touched by the message of “full happiness and pride” transmitted from Fang Qing. 

Jinhua RTVU President Huang Hongwei noted in his summary that Fang Qing was invited to return to her alma mater to give a report and introduce her career and life experience after being elected twice in a rows as an NPC deputy. In the speech, Fang Qing used a beautiful and simple voice, a mentality full of love, thinking and action to speak of the happiness of teachers at the spiritual level. Speaking the language of love education, she impressively described her own determination about and pursuit of the ideal of education. She truly achieved her lifelong goal of “Starting with myself and leading by example,” as well as living “an idiot’s daydream,” as she mentioned on her Weibo (microblog). 

Fang Qing has worked for more than 20 years at the post of rural education in Jinhua city. As an undergraduate, she majored in education management at Jinhua RTVU in 2006, and earned the “famous alumna” of Jinhua RTVU and “outstanding alumna” of Zhejiang RTVU awards in 2009. She also won several honorary titles, such as “National Outstanding Teacher,” “National Juvenile Civilization Etiquette Education Model” and “Zhejiang Provincial Special Grade Teacher”.

At the first Session of the 11th NPC held in March of 2008, Fang Qing proposed “Stabilizing rural teachers and developing education that meets the needs of the people” to the then Zhejiang Provincial Governor Lu Zushan, which attracted great attention. In the same year, a series of policies, including “special allowance to rural teachers,” were introduced by Zhejiang province. At the second Session of the 11th NPC, held in March of 2009, Fang Qing conversed with former Premier of the State Council Wen Jiabao, and Premier Wen promised her on the spot that the government would “achieve five projects in education.” At the third Session of the 11th NPC, held in March 2010, Fang Qing put forward the suggestion, “promoting presidents of rural schools in becoming educators,” which later earned widespread positive attention. Her persistence and enthusiasm for the education cause moved many people. On the same day, the programme “Common Concern” on CCTV’s news channel aired her advanced deeds and showed how she grew from a rural primary school to a seat on the platform of the Great Hall of the People. Fang Qing was re-elected as a 12th session NPC deputy in February, returning to the office she held in the 11th NPC deputy.      

By Zhejiang Jinhua RTVU