111school system is one of the keys to solve the problem. The need is to devise struc-
tures and incentives that can shift the balance in favor of a more even distribution
of resources across schools.
In addition, effective mechanism should be established to encourage high qual-
ity teachers to work in grass root schools. This could include enhancing rural
teacher subsidies to practically improve the treatment of rural teachers. This could
include housing support as well as hardship payments. Governments at different
levels should establish funds to offer additional support teachers in rural and poor
areas, and to regularly reward and recognize advanced teachers who have been
working in rural schools for long time. Efforts should also be made to narrow the
gaps in treatment and pay between urban and rural teachers.
5.7.2 Giving Formal Status to Some Dedicated and Qualified
Substitute Teachers
It is the state policy that no more substitute teachers should be employed. There
are still really experienced and dedicated substitute teachers who have worked for
a long time and already obtained teachers’ certificate and required qualification.
They should have chance to transfer and become formal teachers so that they are
better treated with no more worries about retirement welfare.
Especially, in old revolutionary areas, minority areas, remote and mountainous
areas with an underdeveloped economy and a shortage of formal teachers, substi-
tute teachers are still playing an important role in local compulsory education. It
is not responsible to deal with this issue without considering local situations. We
need to face the reality and actual needs, and face the fact that the phenomenon of
substitute teachers will exist for the predictable future. The state should formulate
standards and regulation for employing substitute teachers, and make clear methods
for regularizing their employment. They need to be treated in a similar way to for-
mal teachers, have access to training at local level, integrate them into the welfare
systems and social security, and provide enough formal posts for them to transfer to
official teacher status. When employing substitute teachers, labor contracts should
be signed, making terms, entitlements and treatments clear (Pang and Han 2006 ).
5.7.3 Establishing Two-Way Mobility Mechanism
for Teachers
Our study shows that rural teacher mobility is one way traffic. Most of the trans-
fers are of outstanding teachers transferring from rural schools to central primary
school and quality schools in the town. There are very few cases of outstanding
teachers and principals from quality school working in rural schools. This leads
to unbalanced development of quality in rural schools. The movement should