Anyone who studies the 30-year development of China's education is likely to be surprised by its stunning scale and remarkable pace. An open, inclusive, and vigorous society is the prerequisite that ensures the accelerated growth of an education system. During the last three decades education has transformed the nation and Chinese society. Over 14 million teachers in more than 520 thousand schools dedicate and devote themselves to the cause of education and to their 257 million students. There can be no doubt that this is the key step in the process of changing China from a country with a big population into a country rich in human resources. Nor can it be ignored that China's education system is the largest in the world, and the pace of development of its 30-year education undertaking is the fastest in history.
East Asian countries have the tradition of attaching great importance to education, which gives them a great advantage in developing their human resources. And this is why they can avoid the middle-income trap.
Looking back, what does it mean to a country's education system to respect teachers and provide high quality training to teaching staff? And how do education policies enacted at vital historical moments influence life today? 37 years ago, opponents of the Cultural Revolution forced the resumption of the college entrance examination and set up special education policies. In 1985, China created Teachers' Day, which was a signal that the country had started to consider education as a national strategy and that education had become a link between individual liberation, social transformation and the dream of the nation.
In the space of thirty years, China's education system has transformed from one accessible to an elite to one accessible by the masses. For instance, the higher education entrance rate in 1980s was less than four percent. In 2002, the figure had reached fifteen percent, an internationally recognized mark that signalled a new stage of China's education development: mass education. By 2013 the rate had soared to 35%. However, the continuous expansion of education creates challenges, questions such as how to train better teachers, how to improve teaching levels, and how to meet the public's need for equality in education.
Teachers' legal rights and interests have been guaranteed by the Teachers Law, the Compulsory Education Law, and other laws and regulations. Teacher's quality certification is guaranteed by moral education, standardization management and the requirement for professional qualifications. Most important, to show respect to teachers and their work, China has steadily improved teachers' remuneration. As is shown by national statistics from 2010, teaching salaries have already exceeded the average national income of public servants.
However, about eighty percent of teachers work in rural areas. Many of them are special education teachers and substitute teachers. In some places problems still exist such as teacher shortages, low payment, and the withholding of teachers' wages.
On Tuesday, the eve of Teachers' Day in China, President Xi Jinping visited Beijing Normal University and said to teachers and students there that good teachers, generation after generation, are the hope of a nation. "The importance of teachers lies in shaping souls, forging lives and crafting people... To become a good teacher, one must have lofty ideals, solid knowledge and a kind heart."
The article is edited and translated from?????????????? by Chen Jingtong, source: People's Daily Overseas Edition, author: Liu Tianliang
