A charity fund established by Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba Group, will offer $1.57 million (10 million yuan) to 100 Chinese rural teachers each year to support rural education, it announced on Wednesday.
The Jack Ma Rural Teachers Plan was launched at Beijing Normal University on Wednesday, reports Xinhua.
One hundred rural teachers have been selected as recipients of the fund. The candidates must work in rural schools in west China, including Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, for at least five years.
"Only when society respects rural teachers will more choose to join them," said Ma.
China currently has about 3.3 million teachers in 150,000 schools for over 40 million rural students. Despite government funding for rural education, the gap between urban and rural areas has not been bridged.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app