An 80-year-old Chinese woman, Yeyu Ying, has been officially recognised by the Guinness World Records for having the title of longest career as a female language teacher of an incredible 64 years and 33 days.
After initially retiring in February 1999 at the age of 55, she founded Yuying Elementary School, where she continued to teach to this day. “Maybe I harboured a secret desire to challenge the record but never dared to speak it out loud for fear of being laughed at,” Yeyu Ying recalls. “This recognition is a testament to my lifelong passion. Coming from a rural village in southern China, establishing a school in Lishui in the 1990s, and receiving such an honour for what seemed like an ordinary career fills me with gratitude,” she added.GWR: Ghanaian activist, Abubakar Tahiru sets record for hugging 1,123 trees
As a principal, Yeyu Ying would rise at 5 am and be at school by 7:30 am to monitor teachers and students before starting her teaching duties. When teachers were away for meetings or training, she would step in to save on school expenses.