The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) recently issued a joint Circular on the Implementation of the 2025 Special Post Program for Rural Compulsory Education Teachers, aiming to improve the teaching force and promote quality education in rural areas.
According to the Circular, 21,000 teachers will be recruited nationwide for the Special Post Program this year, with priority given to central and western provinces, especially areas such as the “Three Regions and Three Prefectures,” which were the focus of a previous poverty alleviation effort; key counties targeted for national rural revitalization; and ethnic minority regions.
The program encourages college graduates to teach in rural schools. It also aims to strengthen staffing in subjects where qualified teachers are in short supply, such as morality and law, physical education and health, foreign languages, science, labor education, arts, information technology, psychological fitness, and special education. It also encourages eligible retired military personnel and outstanding former athletes to apply, with age limits to be appropriately relaxed based on service duration and other factors.
The Circular calls for local educational authorities to rigorously manage recruitment exams, with emphasis on candidates’ professional capabilities and the requirement that recruitment must be completed by the end of July. For remote and poverty-stricken areas and disciplines with urgent staffing needs, entrance thresholds may be lowered or removed. Recruitment under these circumstances may be carried out through interviews or direct evaluation instead of exams, with preference for local candidates, especially in remote and poverty-stricken areas.
Additionally, local educational authorities are required to organize systematic training for special post teachers, ensure that they receive their salaries in full and on time, and provide social insurance coverage and other benefits in line with relevant policies and regulations. Local governments may adjust their recruitment arrangements based on actual needs and adopt a multi-pronged approach to attracting excellent talent in support of the high-quality development of rural education.
