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Temporary teachers should be handled correctly

By Fu Zhiyong (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-30 14:31

Wu Yiwei has been teaching at the Jiulongzhai Primary School for 24 years, but is still called a "temporary teacher". Since 1984 when he started working here, his monthly salary has increased more than five times - but only from 30 yuan ($4.3) to 200 yuan ($29).

Yang Zhongming's school is so hard-up that he is forced to teach different grade students in the same classroom. [Fu Zhiyong]

Temporary teachers, or daike laoshi, refer to primary or middle school teachers who are hired to fill teaching positions for which formally-trained teachers are not available. Unlike formal teachers, temporary teachers are not on the government payroll, and are only paid a small salary that comes from the local government, tuition fees and donations.

The Jiulongzhai Primary School is located deep in the mountains of Fenghuang county, Hunan province, and is an area populated by the Miao ethnic minority.

Children from mountainous villages in Hunan province have to study in temporary schools in their village due to in convennient transportation.

The school altogether has 10 students in two grades and Wu is the only teacher. The students sit on either side of the same classroom according to their grade. On a small and worn-out blackboard, Wu writes down the content of all the courses the students take.

"Without Wu, the children here would drop out of school," a villager says. "To get to the nearest formal primary school, one has to walk on a small road by a cliff and cross four mountains. No parent will let his child do that."

What makes Wu most proud is that seven of his students over the past 24 years have gone on to college, and are now teachers, doctors and government officials. Wu is now teaching some of his old students' children.

However, Wu's house is the most shabby one in the village. It is more than 100 years old, and has been handed down by his ancestors. The pillars are slanted and the house sways whenever there is a strong wind. The only item of value is a 11-inch black-and-white TV set, which was also given by his father-in-law.

"The salary of a temporary teacher is too low. As a man, I can't even support my parents, wife and children," Wu says.

He has mulled over his decision to be a teacher many times in the past 24 years. In 2004, he even left the school to work as a bricklayer in the town of Fenghuang, but the village head and some of the villagers soon came to find him.

"We are cheeky to come to you, but we can't find another teacher. Every day the children are waiting for you. Can you come back?" the village head begged him.

Wu couldn't sleep that night. The next day, he decided to go home. When he arrived at the village it was already dark, but many villagers were waiting for him outside the village with torches. As he was escorted back into the village, the joyous villagers set off firecrackers.

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