Beijing faces teacher shortage

More children in Beijing will reach school age next year, creating a shortage of primary school teachers in the capital, according to the Beijing News.

The report said 180,000 children will be in primary schools in 2014, in contrast to 110,000 in 2012.

Chen Aiyu, head of Beijing No 171 Middle School, told Beijing News that all schools are expanding to prepare for the peak, but the training of teachers has not kept pace with the expansion.

Graduates from non-normal universities, who might bring vitality to schools, cannot work at schools because they do not have a teaching certificate, Chen said.

There are also obstacles against introducing qualified teachers from outside Beijing, such as age limits, Chen added.

Xian Lianping, spokesman of the Beijing municipal commission of education, told Beijing News that the shortage of teachers is a problem only for schools in some suburban areas, where schools lack qualified teachers, especially in music and arts.

Key schools in the city, especially the ones with big names, have enough teachers, Xian said.