Best and brightest: Teachers who inspire the nation

A life devoted to girls' education

63-year-old Zhang Guimei has been fighting inequality and prejudice faced by girls in education for a long time.

In 2001, Zhang, then a teacher at a local middle school, was appointed part-time president of a center for homeless children in Huaping county in Lijiang, Southwest China's Yunnan province.

She noticed many girls in the region, especially from poor families, had little chance of getting an education.

Zhang wanted to establish a school for girls living in the mountainous areas. She was determined to make sure the school did not charge tuition fees.

After years of hard work, the governments of Lijiang city and Huaping county allocated one million yuan each to construct a school, and the Huaping High School for Girls was officially opened in September 2008.

In the 12 years since the school was founded, over 1,600 students have graduated and received higher education at universities, including prestigious institutions like Wuhan University and Xiamen University.

"Education for women can influence three generations of individuals," she said.