TedM (UK)

When I was training to be a teacher in England my professor told me that if I wanted to be rich I should not go into teaching! Fortunately for students, most teachers enter this profession, not for money but because they want to help children; they are dedicated, wanting to make society a better place, wanting to give students fulfilling lives. Why else do so many people want to teach? Teaching and nursing are the lowest paid professions in every country because those who do this work do not want to, and often cannot, dictate their salaries and working conditions as lawyers do. In the west it is a serious matter for such workers to actively complain. Think how important a good teacher is. A guardian of education. A role model and example. An innovator. A facilitator of learning. ....... etc. In China it is unfortunate that teaching in China is regarded by some teachers as just a job to get enough money to survive. Yet again, despite this most work professionally and are well respected by parents and the community. If any country truly wants progress in its economy and its society, that desire should be reflected in the money and support they give to education, and that surely should include an adequate and comfortable living wage to attract and keep the best teachers for the teaching profession.

Students give their teachers handmade certificates of merit to express their gratitude on Thursday, Teachers' Day, at a primary school in Handan, Hebei province. [Photo/China Daily]