BEIJING -- The Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee has honored high school principal Chen Liqun as "role model of the times."

Chen, formerly an experienced teacher, had been working as principal of high schools in East China's Zhejiang province. After his retirement in 2016, Chen went to work voluntarily at a high school in a poverty-stricken area in Southwest China's Guizhou province, declining high-paying job offers from private schools.

Over the past three years, Chen has improved the school's education quality by cultivating a group of high-caliber teachers.

During his stay there, he visited students' families and supported over 100 poor households of Miao ethnic group with financial assistance. His deeds have inspired many others to join the cause of improving education in the country's less developed areas.

Chen's dedication earned him the award for the outstanding principal in education reform and innovation and a top 10 figure in education in 2018.