On April 14, the MOE introduced a plan drawn up in association with seven other government agencies to strengthen the country’s teaching body in basic education.
The plan clearly sets out 15 measures to promote the development of teachers in basic education, including improving teachers’ competence and quality, promoting balanced distribution of high-quality education resources, enhancing the teacher education system, and deepening the integrated management reform.
The plan aims, by 2025, to create a series of national teacher education bases, accumulate replicable and scalable reform experience, and provide a reservoir of middle and primary schools teachers qualified to Master’s level. At the same time, the supportive service system for training rural teachers will be improved, teacher shortages in underdeveloped areas will be alleviated, and progress will be seen in specialized and standardized teacher training, assurance systems for teacher development, and management over the teacher force. By 2035, an open, coordinated, interconnected and high-standard system of teacher education will be put in place, with a comprehensive mechanism facilitating teachers’ professional development, adequate quality and quantity in teachers that can meet the needs of basic education, and increased pedagogical quality and educational outcomes. Meanwhile, the fine tradition of respecting teachers and valuing education will continue to prevail.
Focused on raising political awareness, improving teaching ethics and enhancing teaching capabilities in teachers, the plan identifies several tasks, in order to achieve balance among the number, quality and structure of the teacher force and promote innovative practices in teachers’ development. (1) Top teacher training institutions will take the lead in strengthening the teacher education system. (2) Teacher education at higher degree levels will rise, with adoption of innovative talent cultivation measures. (3) Teacher resources will be distributed in a more balanced manner, as special emphasis will be put on teacher training for underdeveloped areas in Central and Western China. (4) Management over the teacher force will be improved, based on further evaluation reform. (5) Both quality and efficiency of the teacher force will be improved through application of information technology.
According to an MOE official, China has continued to increase investment in teacher education in recent years. At present, teacher education programs are available at 215 teacher training institutions and over 500 other universities and colleges across the country. However, the current management, assurance systems and school conditions in those teacher training institutions need improvement.
Therefore, the plan demands to establish national teacher education bases and build an open, coordinated, interconnected modern education system for teachers. It also requires to implement special teacher training schemes for underdeveloped areas in central and middle parts of China.
In terms of teacher qualification and assessment systems, the plan urges to fully promote reforms regarding teacher qualification examination and regular registration of teacher certification, and put into practice the requirements of educational evaluation reform, such as improving teacher ethics, reforming professional titles, and conducting assessments by professional grades.
In terms of teachers’ salaries and benefits, performance or merit pay policies will favor teachers who work in upfront positions, perform well in achieving school’s objectives, or teach students with special education needs in mainstream education, while greater assurance will be given to financing in the education sector, to solve issues such as wage arrears and delays in payments of social insurance premiums, housing funds and other employment benefits, and boost ranks of teachers in rural areas as well as their pay, per the plan.
The press conference was moderated by MOE spokeswoman Xu Mei and attended by officials of MOE, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and Education Work Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and other participants.
