Xi Jinping: A model in respecting teachers

"Teachers are the engineers of the human soul and disseminators of human civilization. They are tasked with the mission of the times — to spread knowledge, ideas and truth."

- Xi Jinping
A speech at a national education meeting
Sept 10, 2018

Today is Teachers' Day in China.

President Xi Jinping has paid close attention to education ever since he took office. He has on multiple occasions visited schools, talked with and written to teachers, lauding their hard work in nurturing young people.

"It would be good fortune for one to have a good teacher; it would be an honor for a school to host great teachers. Constantly giving rise to such outstanding teachers would bestow hopes on a nation," Xi said during a visit to Beijing Normal University in 2014.

Recalling his years at school, Xi is grateful for what he learned from his teachers.

"I have received instruction from many teachers. They taught me knowledge as well as how to be an upright person, which has benefited me enormously," he said when chatting with teachers and students during his 2014 visit.