1015.4.3 Differences in Teachers Incomes Between Urban
and Rural Areas
Teachers’ salaries are different between urban and rural areas. In Tongzhou dis-
trict, the teachers’ average salary in the district town is generally more than 3000
yuan. In addition, they have subsidies of different kinds including for various fes-
tivals. Urban schools’ income is higher than rural school income, so that they can
provide more benefits and bonus payments for their teachers.
In Ansai, urban rural differences in salaries are clear. The teachers’ salaries
in the rural Huaziping Secondary School are around 1300 yuan monthly and the
additional subsidy for each teaching period is 6 yuan. The bonus accounts for
20 % of the structured salary. Each teacher is provided a room in the school as
accommodation and office. By contrast in Ansai county town secondary school,
the teachers’ salary is more than 2500 yuan monthly and 12 yuan per teaching
period while in Yan’an city, secondary school teachers’ pay is more than 3000
yuan a month. Similarly In Yanhewan central primary school, the teachers’ income
is around 1300 yuan monthly, with a workload 18 classes weekly with a teach-
ing subsidy of 2.5 yuan per additional teaching hour. But very few teachers would
like to work more than 18 h. Teachers may be rewarded as advanced model home
class teachers and receive salary increments of 10 % of their salary or more but
these awards are rationed. Teachers generally think that their pay is low and is
unmatched with economic development.
Disparities in teachers’ treatment does not only exist between urban and rural
areas, between richer and poorer areas,but also exist between schools in the same
district. The working condition of Xiji central primary school is better than in
village primary school and complete primary school. Xiaolin primary school in
Tongzhou does not provide accommodation to teachers. Only the teachers who
live in the county town can enjoy the regular bus service provided by the govern-
ment. But those living in surrounding villages which are up to 8 km away from
school have to cycle or walk 35–40 min to school.
In Sikai district of Zhaojue, the schools’ conditions are also unbalanced. In
Bier village, the conditions of the schools by the road are much better than those
in the mountains. Besides hardware facilities, teacher quality is the major differ-
ence. As a result, better teachers do not want to work in rural school or the schools
in remote mountainous areas. Eventually, it is unfair to the students studying in
these schools. The differences of teachers’ treatment inevitably cause imbalance of
teaching staff and education quality.
Given these problems, the Chinese government has made several adjustments in
policy. The Specially Contracted Teachers Plan of the rural teacher in compulsory
education in 2005, provided funds of about 278 billion Yuan in total to improve
imbalances. The initiative included a living subsidy policy for rural teachers in des-
titute areas. The central financial department released awards and subsidies about
44 billion Yuan in total between 2013 and 2015. There are related benefits covering
over 90 % of rural schools and 87 % of rural teachers in 604 counties. This policy
has had an effect on enhancing the attraction of being a rural teacher.
5.4 Quality of Rural Teachers