Beijing has issued a set of guidelines aimed at strengthening its teaching workforce.
The guidelines focus on increasing teachers’ competence, protecting their rights and supporting them to “actively discipline students”.It says teachers should be protected from being humiliated or defamed. It also encourages public respect for teachers.
The new rules also stipulate zero tolerance for teachers who commit malpractice and other violations.
The guidelines say that teachers should be paid on time and should not have any unnecessary additions to their workloads.
China’s education system has attracted criticism over the years. Teachers are burdened with bureaucratic workload and complaints from parents, while children are thrown into a fiercely competitive environment from an early age.
Reforms have tried to lighten the workload for students and teachers, but to little effect.
Answer: They are burdened with work and parents’ complaints.
