Teaching has traditionally been a well-respected profession in China. Although Chinese teachers’ salaries are not high, they are stable, particularly in big cities, and there are opportunities to supplement income through tutoring, which makes the profession attractive to many top candidates. Furthermore, universities allow priority admissions to teacher candidates, meaning that teacher programs often have the first choice of many top students.

Recruitment and Compensation

Teacher recruitment is not standardized in China. While it is a competitive job in urban areas, rural areas often must employ “supply teachers,” or teachers who are primarily substitutes, in their local schools. These teachers are not held to the same training and certification standards as teachers in wealthier and more populated parts of China. This did not used to be the case; prior to the 1980s, there was no uniform standard for teacher certification, and teachers tended to take jobs in their local communities. However, following a large policy shift, teachers were required to become certified and they were put on the public payroll. This change caused many rural teachers to seek jobs in cities, where the standard of living was higher and their new certificates made them qualified for good jobs. This led to the shortage of teachers in rural areas, a problem that persists today.

In cities, teacher education programs at universities offer priority admission and are seen as a desirable option for strong students. In large, metropolitan cities like Shanghai and Beijing, teaching is seen as a respected, stable profession with competitive salaries. In these cities, teachers must hold degrees that far outpace what was required of teachers just twenty years ago.

Teacher compensation varies widely across China. In rural community schools, teachers are sometimes not even on the public payroll and thus their salaries are subject to local fundraising. In large cities, teacher salaries are competitive with other professions. Teaching is seen as a desirable career largely because compensation is considered steady. Because China’s economy is changing so rapidly, many other white-collar jobs can be unstable in large cities. In addition to comparable wages and stability, teachers are able to supplement their salaries through private tutoring and lectures.

Initial Education and Training

Teachers in China are educated in one of three types of schools. Special upper secondary schools can qualify teachers for pre-school and primary positions with the equivalent of a high school diploma. Normal colleges, equivalent to a junior college, typically train junior secondary teachers for two years following upper secondary school. Finally, normal universities train upper secondary teachers in a four-year bachelor’s degree program.

Following the receipt of the required diploma, teachers must be certified, which requires two additional steps. First, they must pass the National Mandarin Language Test; afterwards, they must take four examinations in the areas of pedagogy, psychology, teaching methods, and teaching ability. Candidates must demonstrate teaching abilities such as classroom management as part of this examination. Teachers who attend a university for teacher education are exempt from the four examinations because it is assumed that they will have this knowledge as a result of their program of study. Despite this rigor, however, teachers are not always qualified. While 98% of primary school teachers were qualified in 2004, only 79% of upper secondary teachers were qualified. This number drops to 65% for upper secondary school teachers in rural areas, though the rate of qualified primary teachers remained high across the board.

In Shanghai, this system is slightly modified for primary school teachers. All primary school teachers must hold post-secondary, sub-degree diplomas, though they may enroll in a teacher education school immediately after completing junior secondary education. The programs are three to four years in length, and result in both a high school diploma and an additional certificate. These programs include courses in specific subjects, methodology and pedagogy. Teachers must also undergo practical training.

Secondary school teachers must hold bachelor’s degrees along with a professional certificate, and many of these teachers also hold master’s degrees. Prospective secondary school teachers undergo a similar set of courses and practical training to primary school teachers, but may only enter teacher education programs after successfully completing upper secondary school. For upper secondary school teaching candidates, the program is typically four years; for those who want to teach lower secondary school, the program may be as short as two to three years.