Political advisors demand more male teachers

NANNING - Political advisors in south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Sunday called for more male teachers to be recruited to elementary schools.

A current lack of male teachers in China's kindergartens, primary and middle schools weakens the chances of students receiving balanced education from teachers of both genders, local political advisors said at the annual session of Guangxi's political advisory body.

According to a report published by Beijing Normal University in July, 2012, about 80 percent of primary school teachers in China's big cities are female.

Such an imbalance has been found in China's middle and primary schools for 10 consecutive years, and the trend is continuing, said the report.

"Children are prone to be influenced by their surrounding environment and people," said Zhou Hao, a political advisor in Guangxi.

"The gender imbalance in teachers will affect the development of children's complete personality, thus preventing China from upgrading its elementary education level," Zhou added.

Zhou and other political advisors called on the government to roll out measures to raise the quota of male students in normal universities and encourage kindergartens and elementary schools to recruit more male teachers.