China’s Teachers Are Exhausted, Sleep-Deprived and Bogged Down by Red Tape, Survey Shows
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China’s primary and secondary school teachers are overworked, sleep-deprived and increasingly bogged down by bureaucratic tasks that have little to do with education, according to a sweeping new survey that highlights the deepening strain on the country’s educators.
The findings, published recently by The Educator magazine, paint a picture of a profession in crisis even as the government pushes to modernize its education system. Based on responses from 81,387 teachers across the country, the report details how administrative interference, financial insecurity and a rigid evaluation system are eroding teacher morale.
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- Chinese teachers face overwork, sleep deprivation, and heavy administrative burdens, with 78.78% sleeping 7 hours or less and nearly 40% experiencing anxiety or depression.
- The main source of stress is administrative tasks (68.03%), outweighing heavy teaching loads, while financial insecurity also affects many (only 16.07% consider their families well-off).
- Teacher evaluations remain tied to student test scores, and 40.17% worry about shrinking student populations due to China’s declining birth rate.
- The Educator magazine
- The Educator magazine recently published a comprehensive survey on the state of China's primary and secondary school teachers. The survey, based on responses from over 81,000 educators, reveals a profession in crisis. It highlights issues such as overworked and sleep-deprived teachers, bureaucratic burdens, and dwindling morale exacerbated by financial insecurity and rigid evaluation systems.
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