Having more supportive policies for teachers was a key issue discussed during a panel discussion of the Fifth Session of the Sixth Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Committee members and invited guests from the city floated ideas and proposals on providing support for teachers in various aspects such as housing, income tax and hiring procedures.
Political advisers first emphasized the role of education, especially elementary education, during the discussion. Yi Songguo, one of the committee members from the education field, noted that if a talent fails to find a school slot for his or her own child, he or she would probably consider leaving the city. If this choice were to be made, elementary education would not only be an educational issue but also a developmental, and even social, issue.
Although much progress has been made, there are still many issues that need to be addressed. Among them, providing ongoing support for teachers has been a very concerning topic for advisers.
Deng Shaoyong, a political adviser, suggested that since the two-child policy has been implemented, and children from Hong Kong and Macao are allowed to receive education on the Chinese mainland, Shenzhen, with its huge youth population, will see a huge demand for teachers resulting from the growing need for education.
However, Shenzhen has become less attractive to teachers. The reason is partly because cities in China have been battling for human resources, striving to attract teachers by issuing various kinds of supportive policies. Unlike second- or third-tier cities, Shenzhen has high housing prices and high living standards, which decreases its competitiveness to some degree.
As a result, Deng suggested offering a preferential housing policy for teachers.
Deng also advised simplifying the hiring procedures for teachers in case they change their career plan after receiving an offer.
Another issue mentioned by Deng is that many of the experienced teachers introduced to the city are nearly 50 years old. Therefore, they are only able to teach at schools for around five years, which is not an effective use of the costs of human resources.
Thus, Deng encouraged the city to welcome experienced teachers in the 30 to 35 year-old range.