Good remuneration instead of contracts will be more effective in retaining teachers, says a signed article in Beijing Youth Daily. An excerpt follows:

 

The State Council issued a trial regulation on free teacher education on Monday. According to this regulation, students receiving free teacher education must sign a contract with the school and local educational department, promising to teach for over 10 years after graduation or repay their education costs along with a fine.

 

The return of free teacher education has been awaited by the nation. The Ministry of Education now rules that those receiving free teacher education must teach for more than 10 years, cannot apply for graduate study during the period, and those who plan to teach in cities and towns should first teach in rural areas for two years.

 

The government is binding those receiving free education in an effort to stabilize teaching teams and balance the distribution of educational resources.

 

The free teacher education system can help solve the financial problems of many poor students. But some poor students, who are not really interested in teaching, may just sign the contract as an expedient.

 

The educational costs and living allowances they received at college may not be a huge sum once they find well-paid jobs in other fields. Thus the binding obligations probably will not be able to guarantee their teaching for 10 years.

 

Though the Teachers Law rules that teachers' average salary shall not be lower than that of public servants, it has not been realized in many regions. This is especially true in underdeveloped and rural areas.

 

(China Daily May 17, 2007)