On September 10, schools and colleges throughout the country celebrated Teachers' Day, a day typically marked by well-wishes, flowers and presents from students to their teachers. 

Speaking with principals and teachers of primary and high schools, Xinhua discovered that many worry about the serious gender imbalance in their schools as far as teachers are concerned. Female teachers outnumber their male colleagues in most of China's lower education schools almost two to one, pointing to the fact that teaching has some way to go before more traditional corners of society deem it a "real job".

More than 50 percent

According to data from the information center of the Educational Department in Liaoning Province, female teachers accounted for 70 percent of the province's total last year.

In Guangdong Province, there are about 680,000 primary and high school teachers, half of whom are female. In Baiyun district, female teachers account for 80 percent of teaching staff. Female recruits also outnumber their male counterparts.

In the primary and high schools in two urban districts of Guiyang, southwest China, the ratios of male to female teachers are 1:7 and 1:8 respectively. In Yunyan district, female teachers account for 90 percent of teaching staff and most are class advisors, or are in charge of the core subjects. Male teachers are usually appointed to teach subjects such as IT and physical education.

"A man who becomes a teacher in a primary or high school is considered a 'good-for-nothing' to the more traditional Chinese person, " a Mr. Long, section chief of the personnel department of the Education Bureau of Baiyun District in Guangzhou, told Xinhua reporters.

Explaining why there are generally more women teachers than men, Guo Ziyi, a member of Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and principal of the Guiyang No. 7 High School, said that much has to do with low salaries. And although more opportunities have opened up to women in traditionally male-dominated fields, some industries still prefer male employees. Teaching is almost a last resort for many women.

Having a majority female teaching staff has presented principals with a few problems. One is the challenge of finding suitable substitute teachers whenever female teachers go on maternity leave.

"I don't worry about the cost of hiring a substitute, but the quality of teaching cannot be guaranteed. Further, teaching plans have to be changed while they are on leave because most of them are class advisors and backbones of the school, " according to the principals interviewed.

Recruitment drive

"We have more female students than male ones. That's the way it's always been; a ratio of about 7:3," said Zhao Wei, director of the Students' Affairs Division at Shenyang Normal University. "Most male students apply for majors in computer science and physical education. Few opt for majors in English, Art or Educational Administration. Even fewer choose Elementary Education as a major," he added.

To encourage more men to take up teaching jobs after graduation, Shanghai Normal University has set a base line of 40 percent for recruiting male students in majors tailored for teachers. Students are encouraged to apply.

Zhou Zhengze, head of the Psychological Education Center at Henan University of Finance and Economics, said the ratio of male to female teachers in primary and high school should be maintained at 1:4. "That would be ideal for our children's growth," Zhou said.

A female dominated lower education system is a worldwide issue. According to a teacher census survey in 2004, there were 3.1 million elementary and middle school teachers in the United States, 79 percent of them women. In New Zealand, 82 and 58 percent of teachers at primary and secondary schools respectively were female. In primary schools in Scotland, 93 percent of teachers were women, while in secondary schools the figure was 58 percent.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Yunxing, September 21, 2005)