Chinese President Hu Jintao visited a special education school and a rural middle school in the central Henan Province to mark the country's 24th Teachers' Day, which falls on Wednesday.

At the Zhengzhou Deaf-Mutes School in the provincial capital, Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, commended the teachers for bringing sunshine and hope to the handicapped children with their love and hard work.

He said the cause of special education deserved respect from the whole society, urging the 110-strong faculty members to give more care and even better education to the children for their healthy growth.

In the classrooms, the president told the students about the significance conveyed by the ongoing Beijing Paralympic Games, and encouraged them to build themselves a bright future with the help of the society and the teachers.

On Tuesday morning, Hu also visited a rural junior high school called the Gaomiao Middle School, in Qinghua Township, Jiaozuo City.

He sent his greetings to the teachers, saying their diligent work has helped many children from the countryside realize their dreams.

He promised to further improve rural teachers' working and living conditions and told them to foster more talents for the country.

Hu also expressed concern about children left behind by parents who were working in cities as migrant workers, saying the country was taking measures to give them better care.

The president also visited the school kitchen and the students' dormitory, telling the school to take good care of their life.

After playing together with the students on the playground, Hu talked with student Huang Zaizhen, encouraging him to study hard to become a person of use for his hometown and for the homeland.

He led the students in the applause in honor of the teachers.

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2008)