Shanghai should start a fund to assist teachers who wish to take time off work to earn a postgraduate degree, officials from the city's Normal University said over the weekend.

 

The suggestion came after the university set up a new education college and launched the city's first project-based education research institute over the weekend.

 

Too many elementary school teachers in the city don't have postgraduate degrees which will hurt Shanghai's image as an international metropolis, according to university Vice President Xiang Jiaxiang. "We should take efforts to improve the situation," said Xiang.

 

The city is home to more than 140,000 elementary school teachers of whom no more than two percent hold a postgraduate degree. In Western countries more than 50 percent of middle school teachers have at least a master's degree, according to a report produced by the university. The report notes that 30 percent of teachers in Taiwan Province have a postgraduate degree.

 

While some teachers argue that experience plays a more important role in improving teaching quality than earning another degree Shanghai Normal University professors respond that postgraduate study can lift overall vision and help build a knowledge base.

 

"Postgraduate education might have no direct use for one's classroom teaching skills but if teachers lack broad vision and cutting-edge awareness how can they educate innovative students," asked Chen Yongming, a university professor.

 

He added that the existing on-the-job training mainly focused on specific teaching methodology and problem-solving skills which didn't help teachers develop their educational theories.

 

While teachers in the West can see their salaries rise significantly if they earn an extra degree their Chinese counterparts only earn a small wage increase for obtaining a master's degree.

 

The university has signed an agreement with the Shanghai Academy of Educational Sciences to offer full-time master degree programs for 500 working teachers each year over the next four years.

 

"We hope that the city government, together with local universities, could join hands to work on teacher training programs," Xiang said.

 

(Shanghai Daily October 30, 2006)