A Study on the Causes and Countermeasures of the Imbalance in the Flow of Compulsory Education Teachers in Urban and Rural Areas in China

Under the back drop of a serious imbalance in the allocation of teachers between urban and rural schools, this study makes suggestions on now the gap between the two areas can be reduced. The flow of expert teachers from rural to urban schools is partly due to the great differences in the way in which the schools are managed. It is also associated with the failure of performance pay incentives in rural areas, the differences in quality of life and working conditions for rural teachers compared to urban ones. As a result, teachers move to urban areas to improve their wages and professional status. It is suggested that an education finance transfer payment is undertaken where the general transfer payment from central and provincial governments to counties help subsidize the salaries and living standards of rural teachers. Management of schools need to change from the local level to the provincial or national level.