【双语阅读】压抑的教师(下)

文摘   2024-10-11 18:24   北京  

Managing multiple roles

In November 2023, a young teacher in Zhengzhou, Henan province, committed suicide just three months into her job. According to media reports, the teacher’s sister said her sibling had repeatedly said the school assigned a heavy load of non-teaching tasks, such as drafting documents and handling inspections from the education authorities.

2023年11月,郑州一刚参与工作不到3个月的年轻教师跳楼自杀。据媒体报道,该教师姐姐称,入职后,妹妹多次和家人提及,学校给任职教师安排了大量教学之外的任务,时有周末加班、开会等,也曾当着学生的面被领导批评。


“When will teachers be allowed to focus solely on educating and nurturing students? How can unhappy teachers raise positive, optimistic children?” the teacher wrote in her suicide note.

During March’s “Two Sessions” of China’s top legislative and political advisory bodies, several attendees called for measures to reduce the workload of teachers.

2024全国两会期间,多位代表、委员提出“教师减负”相关的意见建议,其调研发现,从中小学到高校的教师均承担了过多行政任务,无法专注于教书育人的本职工作。


Chen Guiyun, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and vice chairman of the Chongqing CPPCC, conducted a survey of rural primary and secondary schools across Hubei, Hunan, Henan, Gansu, Guizhou, and Chongqing.

The survey found that teachers are burdened with a range of responsibilities. In addition to internal inspections, evaluations, and attendance checks, they are tasked with more than 10 different types of work, such as collecting data for anti-fraud and anti-corruption initiatives.

全国政协委员、重庆市政协副主席陈贵云在湖北、湖南、河南、甘肃、贵州、重庆等中西部地区农村中小学校开展的专题调研发现,中小学教师不仅承担了教育系统内部的各种检查、评比、打卡,还承担了大量其他部门的反诈、反腐、信教情况统计等任务和一些创建类工作,门类可达10余种。


Chen said teachers raised concerns about increasingly detailed inspection standards, higher demands, and complex evaluation criteria. Some said the volume of paperwork they must fill in has become overwhelming, with mountains of documents and forms required for every task.

Teachers interviewed by Caixin also expressed that they believe they are not receiving fair salaries for their heavy workload, with some reporting instances of delayed payments.

数位受访教师对财新表示,他们认为自己并未得到应有的工资待遇,还有教师遇到了拖欠的情况,”现在2024年都过去一半了,我们的工资是去年下半年的都没有结完。”山东一所县中的教师王怡告诉财新。在被拖欠了10个月工资、一年半社保以后,她选择了辞职。她的很多同事也相继离开。


Policies to improve

In recent years, a series of policies aimed at easing teachers’ workloads and improving their mental health have been rolled out. This year alone, several provinces have attempted to limit the number of non-teaching tasks that teachers can be assigned. Over the summer, cities across Henan province issued notices or launched special campaigns to ensure teachers weren’t given excessive duties over the break. The authorities in Foshan, Guangdong province, announced that only schools’ senior staff should be asked to work over the summer holiday.

2024年4月,中央教育工作领导小组秘书组印发通知部署专项整治工作,要求集中整治与教育教学无关的活动和工作随意进入校园情况,以及社会事务进校园过程中重留痕轻实效的形式主义。专项整治还要求通过建立健全社会事务进校园审批报备制度和监督管理长效机制,营造教育教学良好环境;要求各地“提高站位,压实责任,把规范社会事务进校园作为教育系统整治形式主义为基层减负的重要工作”。


Yu argues that policies only address symptoms instead of root causes and cannot fundamentally enhance teachers’ mental well-being. The complexities of mental health issues require proactive policies, appropriate workload reductions, and realistic expectations, he points out.

“The top priority is to create a mental health support system for teachers that involves the government, schools, and families. Building a societal network focused on teacher mental health is essential to boosting their sense of professional honor, fulfillment, and achievement.” Yu said.

俞国良亦认为,“头痛医头”的及时性政策不能从根本上提高教师心理健康均值水平,新时代教师心理健康问题错综复杂,需要政策先行、适度减负、期望合理,“当务之急是建构国家、学校、家庭三位一体的教师心理健康支持体系,在全社会搭建教师心理健康安全网络,提高教师的职业荣誉感、获得感和成就感。”


Ahead of this year’s Teacher’s Day, China’s Ministry of Education issued a notice outlining plans to optimize policies supporting teachers.

The notice emphasizes that the ministry will ensure the average salary for teachers in compulsory education remains at least equal to the average salary of local civil servants. Furthermore, it plans to strengthen housing and benefits for rural teachers.

据该通知,在教师待遇方面,教育部将持续巩固义务教育教师平均工资收入水平不低于当地公务员平均工资收入水平成果,加强乡村教师住房等待遇保障;针对身心健康问题,将落实定期安排教师进行休养的法律规定、坚决打击造谣和污名化教师的行为,依法维护教师权益。


To address mental and physical health concerns, the ministry will enforce legal provisions for regular rest periods and safeguard teachers’ rights under the law.


Writing by Guo Xin

Editing by Joshua Dummer




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