What they do
Ye Lianping began teaching at Bucun school in 1978 and retired in 1991. After retirement he saw that some left-behind children had no one to help them with homework, especially English. In 2000 he cleared a room of just over 30 square metres in his own home and opened a free classroom.
The class was divided into four levels, with handwritten teaching materials, and ran at weekends and during school holidays. He has paid for students' food, lodging and school supplies himself, and later set up a scholarship. After several operations he discharged himself early to return to the classroom; in 2026, at 98, he was still teaching. Over more than twenty years, more than 2,000 children have studied in that room.
Timeline
- Began teaching at Bucun school.
- Retired.
- Opened a free home classroom.
- Set up a scholarship.
- Still teaching; more than twenty years and over 2,000 students.
Reports
- A 98-year-old rural teacher: 'I am only a firefly, lighting the way a little'
那年，72岁的叶连平发现村里一些留守儿童在课后无人辅导，特别是英语基础极其薄弱。一个决定在他心中生根：他要办一个不收费的“家庭课堂”。
- A new term: 98-year-old Teacher Ye begins again
退休后，叶连平创办“留守未成年人之家”，26年来免费为孩子们辅导英语，不仅自掏腰包提供食宿、购置文具，还拿出毕生积蓄设立奖学金，资助数百名农村学子。