"Once a Dream Job With 1,000-to-1 Competition, Now on the Verge of Becoming an Unpopular Career in China"

Some Teachers in China Report "Phone Phobia"
Work an Average of About 9.5 Hours a Day

Teaching, once considered a popular profession in China with a competition rate exceeding 1000 to 1, has recently come to be recognized as a highly stressful job due to excessive teaching hours and a heavy load of extra duties.

According to Beijing Daily on September 7, teachers in China are now burdened not only by overwhelming teaching schedules but also by emotional exhaustion, which is taking a toll on both their mental and physical health.

Teaching, once ranked as a popular profession in China with a competition rate exceeding 1000 to 1, is recently being recognized as a job with high mental stress. Getty Images

97% of Elementary, Middle, and High School Teachers Suffer from Occupational Diseases

According to a survey conducted jointly by Southern Weekly China and several companies, 97% of elementary, middle, and high school teachers in China are suffering from various occupational diseases. Teachers in the field reported suffering from severe physical ailments such as neck and back pain, as well as intense mental stress.

According to a survey conducted jointly by Southern Weekly China and various companies, 97% of elementary, middle, and high school teachers are experiencing various occupational diseases. Getty Images

Fang Xiao, an English teacher in her fifth year, shared, “Every day, I start work at 7:20 a.m. and spend a hectic day with morning reading, grading homework, and teaching classes.” She added that on days she supervises evening self-study sessions, she spends more than 10 hours at school.

Teachers especially complain that tasks outside their teaching hours are even more exhausting than actual classes. A middle school teacher stated that in addition to classroom duties, she spends a significant amount of time compiling and reporting student information and organizing paperwork. She explained, “Because it is a boarding school, I have to be on-call 24 hours a day,” and lamented that as soon as she looks at her phone, a torrent of work messages floods in. Her phone is full of tasks such as resolving conflicts among students, responding to parents’ inquiries, and organizing matters that need to be reported to the school. She said, “I worry that I might miss something if I don’t check my phone,” admitting that she has developed a phobia of her phone.

Photo to aid understanding of the article. Pexels.

The survey shows that elementary school teachers are in charge of an average of about 14 classes per week. Additionally, 91% of teachers are responsible for 2 to 6 classes at the same time. More than 70% of all teachers work an average of around 9.5 hours per day.

Causes of Teacher Stress Becoming More Diverse

Li Mushi, a professor in the Department of Social Welfare at China University of Labor Relations, analyzed that “the causes of stress for teachers have become more diverse.” He explained, “It is because teachers now have to juggle not just classes but also student management, communication with parents, and the complexities of emotional labor involved in coordinating interpersonal relationships.”

This work-related stress is leading to physical illnesses. Survey results show that 70% of teachers experience dry throat and hoarseness. 32% have been diagnosed with chronic pharyngitis, and among them, 66% experience complete loss of voice at least once a year.

Photo for article understanding. Pexels.

Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Center, stated, “We must break the practice of education institutions that focus only on student scores and admission rates, and eliminate the evaluation of teachers based on test results and university acceptance rates.” He emphasized, “Non-educational tasks, such as food safety inspections and school patrols, should be removed from teachers’ duties to create an environment where they can concentrate better on students’ development.”

Meanwhile, teaching was once highly sought after in China for its perceived job stability, causing a surge in exam applications. The number of applicants for China’s elementary and secondary school teaching certification exams was about 172,000 in 2012, soared to around 2.6 million in 2016, and reached its highest point in 2022 at about 11.442 million.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.