Though most students have gone to other schools, Li Yufen still stays to teach her only student, who suffers from congenital heart disease, in a mountainous village in Guangdong.

Li's excellent achievements in education won her the title "outstanding teacher in south Guangdong province" in 2006. Friends tried to persuade her to teach in the Pearl River Delta, where she could easily earn 6,000-7,000 yuan ($870-$1,000) per month, but she was more concerned about the education of the children in the village.

Tianxin Elementary is one of the few schools in Yao'an county to offer an education to ethnic groups but conditions in the mountainous village are tough: There is a lack of facilities and cash, poor-quality food and housing, plus 20 km of dirt-track from town. These conditions have gradually driven away teachers; Li not only stayed, she successfully nurtured her students until their exam results ranked among the top three in the entire county.

"There were six teachers and more than 50 pupils in 1993," Li recalls. "The new century witnessed the departure of teachers and just 20 pupils stayed."

Li admits that having only one pupil for the last two years has made her lonely. "Although I only have one student, I never give classes carelessly - but I do feel that much of my potential is sleeping and can only get weaker," Li says.

She fears that if the situation is allowed to continue, the village's education will fall further behind, since few modern facilities and a lack of competition will adversely affect pupils' education.

(China Daily January 31, 2009)