Peng LipingInternational Center for Teacher Education

East China Normal University

Empowering Teachers in Rural Areas in China

World Declaration on Education For All World Declaration on Education For All （（ 19901990）：）：Basic learning needs …Basic learning needs …

to be able to survive, to be able to survive, to develop their full capacities, to develop their full capacities, to live and work in dignity, to live and work in dignity, to participate fully in development, to participate fully in development, to improve the quality of their lives, to improve the quality of their lives, to make informed decisions, and to make informed decisions, and to continue the learning.to continue the learning.(World Declaration on Education For All, 1990)

I. The Concept of Rural Education;Education;II. The Importance of Rural II. The Importance of Rural Education;Education;III. The Importance of Good III. The Importance of Good Teachers;Teachers;IV. How to Finance Teachers in Rural IV. How to Finance Teachers in Rural Areas Areas in China to Ensure Quality; in China to Ensure Quality;V. Challenges;V. Challenges;IV. Further Work.IV. Further Work.

Contents

Today, three out of every four poor people in Today, three out of every four poor people in developing countries live in rural areas, and developing countries live in rural areas, and most of them depend directly or indirectly most of them depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods.on agriculture for their livelihoods.

(World Development Report 2008)

Current situation in rural areas of Current situation in rural areas of China---in terms of population, China---in terms of population, geographical location, and standard of geographical location, and standard of living.living.The Chinese national population The Chinese national population census in census in 20152015 totals totals 1.36782 1.36782 billion billion among whom there are among whom there are 45.23% 45.23% rural population in Chinarural population in China..

The concept of rural education?The concept of rural education?

Rural education Rural education refers to: refers to: ii) ) educational institutions educational institutions that are that are located in located in rural areas rural areas and and serve rural serve rural peoplepeople, , iiii) generally, including ) generally, including rural basic rural basic educationeducation, , vocational educationvocational education, , adult adult educationeducation, etc, , etc, iiiiii) and different education in urban ) and different education in urban areas to serve to and contribute for areas to serve to and contribute for rural people and rural development.rural people and rural development.

i) i) Rural education is Rural education is one of the prerequisites one of the prerequisites for for rural rural economic developmenteconomic development and on the other hand, and on the other hand, continuing rural economic development will push continuing rural economic development will push forward further development of rural education.forward further development of rural education.ii) ii) The The rural population rural population is among is among the world’s majority the world’s majority of illiterate, unhealthy, malnourished, marginalized, of illiterate, unhealthy, malnourished, marginalized, and oppressed populationand oppressed population..iii) iii) Rural education Rural education constitutes the keyconstitutes the key in in reachingreaching the targets of EFA, the targets of EFA, ““ensuringensuring equal access equal access toto quality quality education education for the vulnerablefor the vulnerable” ” andand “narrowing the “narrowing the education gap”.education gap”. “ “World Declaration on Education for World Declaration on Education for All”All” ““The Dakar Framework for Action” The Dakar Framework for Action”

The importance of rural education

“ The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers” ------McKinsey & Co, 2007

Key to Success? “ What is the most important school-related factor in student learning? The answer is teaching”Bob Schwartz, Harvard GSE, 2010

The importance of good teachers

“Life isn’t fair, but good teaching and good schools are the best means we have of overcoming disadvantage and opening the doors of opportunity for young people”Stephen Dinham, Melbourne

University 2012

Keys to success?

I)I)““ Specially contracted teachersSpecially contracted teachers” ” plan forplan forcompulsory education in rural areas in China.compulsory education in rural areas in China.a) Goalsa) Goals ：： to alleviate to alleviate shortageshortage of of and and imbalance of composition imbalance of composition of teachersof teachers therethere ；； to to improveimprove quality.quality. b) Contentsb) Contents ：： college graduates with teaching college graduates with teaching ability to teach there for ability to teach there for 3 3 yearsyears ；； their their salariessalaries shall be provided by shall be provided by the Central Government the Central Government withwith houses houses used in turn and used in turn and other life conditions other life conditions assured by local governments. Those who assured by local governments. Those who continue to stay after 3 years, their salaries shall continue to stay after 3 years, their salaries shall be covered be covered by local governmentsby local governments. .

How to finance teachers in rural areas in China to ensure quality?

I) I) “Specially contracted teachers” “Specially contracted teachers” plan forplan forcompulsory education in rural areas in China.compulsory education in rural areas in China.c) Scope: c) Scope: provinces in Central and Western provinces in Central and Western ChinaChina. .

d) Achievements (d) Achievements (2006-20152006-2015):): i) Fiscal investmentsi) Fiscal investments: RMB: RMB29.4429.44 billion; billion;ii)Teachers recruitedii)Teachers recruited: : 495,000.00495,000.00 among over among over 3000030000 rural schools in over 1000 counties of rural schools in over 1000 counties of 2222 provinces in Central and Western China provinces in Central and Western China 88% 88% ((262,000262,000) of the teachers continue to stay ) of the teachers continue to stay in rural areas.in rural areas.

How to finance teachers in rural areas in China to ensure quality education?

II)II)““ Providing living allowances to teachers” Providing living allowances to teachers” for for compulsory education in poorest rural areas in compulsory education in poorest rural areas in China.China.a) Goalsa) Goals ：： to to improveimprove living standard of living standard of teachers in poorest rural areasteachers in poorest rural areas ；； to to attractattract more more teachers willing to teach there.teachers willing to teach there. b) Scope and target teachersb) Scope and target teachers ：： school teachers school teachers in the poorest rural areas among in the poorest rural areas among 699 699 townships townships of poorest counties in of poorest counties in 22 22 province in China.province in China.c) Investmentsc) Investments ( (2013-20152013-2015): ): RMB4.39 billion RMB4.39 billion from Central government from Central government + RMB5.1 billion + RMB5.1 billion from from provinces.provinces.

How to finance teachers in rural areas in China to ensure quality?

II)II)““ Providing living allowances to teachers” Providing living allowances to teachers” for for compulsory education in poorest rural areas in compulsory education in poorest rural areas in China.China.d) Achievements d) Achievements ((2013-20152013-2015)) ：： 573 573 counties counties out of out of 699 699 total amount total amount (82%) with 1.044 (82%) with 1.044 million million teachers (teachers (92%92%) from ) from 71,00071,000 school have school have enjoyed the benefits. enjoyed the benefits.

e) Principal policye) Principal policy: “implemented independently : “implemented independently by local areas with comprehensive awards from by local areas with comprehensive awards from central government”.central government”. The poorest, the highest.The poorest, the highest.

How to finance teachers in rural areas in China to ensure quality?

III) ImIII) Implementingplementing the “national in-service teacher the “national in-service teacher training” training” plan (professional development)plan (professional development) to to improve the quality improve the quality of rural teachers in Chinaof rural teachers in China..a) Basic requirements of traininga) Basic requirements of training ：： no less than no less than 360 360 hours of in-service training annually for each hours of in-service training annually for each school teacher in each period of 5 years of school teacher in each period of 5 years of service. The “national in-service teacher training” service. The “national in-service teacher training” plan began in 2010.plan began in 2010.

b)b) ObjectivesObjectives: to improve the quality of teachers : to improve the quality of teachers with a focus on rural areas. with a focus on rural areas. Quality teacher Quality teacher assuranceassurance..

How to finance teachers in rural areas in China to ensure quality?

III) ImIII) Implementingplementing the “national in-service teacher the “national in-service teacher training” training” plan (professional development)plan (professional development) to to improve the quality improve the quality of rural teachers in Chinaof rural teachers in China..c) Contentsc) Contents ：： i) model training program i) model training program (school (school training and on-line distance training) for school training and on-line distance training) for school teachers to support---teachers to support--- ii) training of core teachers ii) training of core teachers of rural areas of rural areas in central and western China to be in central and western China to be implemented by provinces with guidance and implemented by provinces with guidance and financial support from central governmentfinancial support from central government..d) Fiscal investments and achievements: RMB6.4 d) Fiscal investments and achievements: RMB6.4 billion billion from central government from central government (2010-2014) (2010-2014) withwith 7 million 7 million teachers get trainedteachers get trained, 96.4% , 96.4% from rural from rural areasareas. .

How to finance teachers in rural areas in China to ensure quality?

I) Further implement I) Further implement of the salary of teachers to of the salary of teachers to assure that assure that teachers are willing to teach and stay teachers are willing to teach and stay therethere..II) Further improvementII) Further improvement of the quality of the of the quality of the teachers as a whole teachers as a whole to face to face the challenge of the challenge of increasing requirements for quality educationincreasing requirements for quality education..III) Further optimization III) Further optimization of allocation of teachers of allocation of teachers to avoid to avoid imbalance of regions, schools, and imbalance of regions, schools, and subjects. deployment model training program. subjects. deployment model training program. IV) Further improvement IV) Further improvement of the management of the management system of teacher to assure appropriate funding system of teacher to assure appropriate funding for training.for training.

Challenges

Supportive plan for teachers in rural areas of Supportive plan for teachers in rural areas of China China was announced by Chinese government in was announced by Chinese government in 2015 to solve the 2015 to solve the shortage of teachersshortage of teachers, , insufficiency of salaryinsufficiency of salary, and improve , and improve teaching teaching ability, which includes:ability, which includes:i) extending channels of replenishment of i) extending channels of replenishment of teachers: teachers: toto increase specially contracted increase specially contracted teachers, increase salaries, additional teachers, increase salaries, additional supplements to college graduates to teach in supplements to college graduates to teach in rural areas, etc. rural areas, etc. ii) Increasing benefits of teachers in rural areas. ii) Increasing benefits of teachers in rural areas. iii) comprehensive improvement iii) comprehensive improvement of the quality of of the quality of teachers in rural areas: ICT in education, degree teachers in rural areas: ICT in education, degree programs, principals training programs, etc.programs, principals training programs, etc.

Further Work

Thank you!

Mar. 6, 2016

Thank you !