In many small cities and rural areas, there is dearth of teachers qualified to impart basic education, such as kindergarten and primary-school teachers, because their salaries and social status are low. Yan Yanhong, a kindergarten teacher who recently ill-treated some children in Wenling, Zhejiang province, didn't even have a teacher's license. Media reports say that only 40 percent of kindergarten teachers in Wenling have teaching licenses. The acute shortage of qualified teachers has, therefore, forced many kindergartens to hire people without teaching licenses or even necessary training.
More importantly, besides teaching, college teachers also play an important role in scientific and technological research. Intellectual product requires a certain amount of investment and long-term research and development. After all academics is an area where quick success and instant benefits are rare.
Surveys show that about 60 percent of the young college teachers get less then 5,000 yuan a year each as research funds, and 61.6 percent of them don't get any such funds from their colleges. Many college teachers who devote their life to research lack funds, which is more frustrating for them than getting low salaries. Without necessary financial support they can hardly achieve anything in their research, which is something that not only teachers but also the authorities should worry about.
Education is important for the future of the entire nation. The authorities should realize that the more attention they pay to teachers and the teaching profession the better the future of our country will be.
Nutritious lunch provided in Taipei's elementary school