Editor's note: The State Council Information Office held a group interview on Wednesday featuring outstanding teachers to discuss advancing the spirit of educators and accelerating the building of China into a leading country in education.

On Cuiying Mountain in Lanzhou, we established China's first semiarid climate change observation station of international standards. I often take my students into the field, trekking across deserts, traversing glaciers and climbing plateaus. They are trained and tested in harsh natural environments, strengthening both their character and resilience. I like the saying along the Taklimakan Desert highway: "There is only a desolate desert, not a desolate life." I often tell my students the same: how could our research be anything but world-class, when we write our papers on the vast land of our motherland and pursue knowledge in the great deserts of the northwest?

Huang Jianping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Lanzhou University in Gansu province

Labor education is not a decorative add-on, but a source of nourishment and energy for children's all-round development. To help children develop a love for work from an early age, we have designed a curriculum based on the 24 solar terms, encouraging them to engage in hands-on activities in tune with the seasons. Only when teachers remain curious about the world will children long to explore it. I hope our children will feel a spark of excitement at the sight of wild chrysanthemums, and pause to listen when they hear birds singing. Education, at its heart, is about nurturing the ability to perceive happiness and to create it.

Zhang Zhenle, principal of Fuchun No 7 Primary School Education Group in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province

I have always worked on the front line of teaching. Together with my institution, I have helped deepen the integration of industry and education, as well as school-enterprise cooperation. I hope to support companies in solving technical challenges while personally guiding students in developing practical skills. Watching them grow from novices to skilled professionals, then step out of campus and into major aviation enterprises, contributing to China's domestically developed aircraft and other critical national projects, gives me a deep sense of fulfillment.

Zhou Shuqiang, professor at Chengdu Aeronautic Polytechnic University

The essence of nurturing both intellect and character lies in "seeing every individual". At our school, each class is assigned a psychological counselor, and we have launched a smart mental health platform to support the well-being of both students and teachers. We focus not only on students' academic progress, but also on their emotional needs and individual differences. At the same time, we recognize the dedication of every teacher, providing practical support to help address real challenges, so that everyone on campus is seen and respected.

Xie Wei, principal of Yinchuan No 15 Middle School, Ningxia Hui autonomous region

We support teachers in defining clear development goals based on their individual circumstances, whether they are newly recruited or experienced backbone teachers. Taking into account teachers' years of experience and professional strengths, we design stage-specific learning content and practical opportunities, enabling them to grow steadily and continuously. We aim to ignite teachers' inner drive, helping them feel the nobility of the profession and sustain their intrinsic passion, while also strengthening their professional competence. There is only one character's difference between a "profession" and a "vocation", but it transforms teachers' mindset, energizes the entire team, and eventually benefits tens of thousands of children.

An Huixia, principal of Xinghua Preschool Education Group in Taiyuan, Shanxi province