98 5 Rural Teacher Issues
In addition, only 33 % of junior secondary school teachers had graduated from
3-year higher education. Twenty years later the qualified rate for primary school
teachers in Ansai had risen to 99 % and the qualification rate of professional teach-
ers reached 94 % in Huaziping primary school and 100 % in Huaziping central
primary school, with the majority graduates from 3-year universities. The situation
is similar in Yanhewan primary schools where nearly all are now qualified. In the
secondary school 60 % of teachers have 3-year university education.
In Zhaojue in 1990, the qualified rate of primary teachers was only 70 % in
Bier district and 82 % for Sikai district and the majority were graduates from sec-
ondary schools. The qualified rate of junior secondary school teachers was much
lower than for primary school teachers. By 2001 the qualified rate for primary
school teachers in Zhaojue reached to 99 %. More and more primary school teach-
ers have undergraduate education and professional qualifications. In the same year,
the qualification rate of junior secondary school teachers reached to 99 % with one
third having undergraduate education.
Comparing vertically over time the overall teachers’ quality has increased
remarkably in the three places; comparing horizontally, Tongzhou is much more
developed economically than the other two counties. However, a common problem
exist in the three counties that better teachers are concentrated in central primary
schools. In Zhaojue and Ansai, the majority of substitute teachers work in village
schools while the teachers who have higher professional ranks are concentrated in
central primary school. Since 2003/04, all the teachers in Huaziping central pri-
mary school are official teachers and are qualified. The greatest numbers of under
qualified teachers remain in the incomplete primary schools which may explain
the low quality of remote village schools.
Qualification rates can be misleading. The qualification rate often is reported as
reaching to 100 % but there may be an imbalance between academic degree and educa-
tional level. Based on research in Jianli county, Hubei province, all of the 4872 profes-
sional teachers in primary school are qualified, and the qualification rate reached 100 %
(Ministry of Education 2006 ). The qualification rate for junior secondary teachers is
93 %. But most of the rural teachers’ first degree is at a three year professional college not
a university, and most achieve a bachelors degree through correspondence course learn-
ing or in-service training. Some of these programmes are thought to be of low quality.
Status and fair treatment are issues that are of great concern to many rural
teachers. Perceptions and realities determine the attraction of the teaching profes-
sion and the enhancement of quality in the teaching force. Status is partly influ-
enced by salary levels and relative positions in the labour market. The next section
discusses the changes and their impact.
5.4.1 Improvement of Rural Teachers’ Salaries
Compared to 25 years ago, rural teachers’ salaries, social welfare and housing con-
dition have been improved considerably. Delays in payment of teachers’ salaries