Study On The Present Situation Of Substitute Teachers In Urban Public Primary And Middle Schools

The present situation of teaching faculty has come to the attention of researchers, in particular, thevulnerable groups of substitute teachers. The substitute teachers are scattered in urban areas as wellas remote rural areas.This paper targets at the present situation of substitute teachers in urban public primary and middleschools，in the case of some district of Wuhan in Hubei province. The survey and follow-up researchwere carried out by means of questionnaire distribution, literature consultation, person interviewsand social fact observation. The research is trying the approach the situation from three differentaspects——educational factor, economic factor and political factor, with the hope of shedding lighton the group situation of substitute teachers. Suggestions are put forward for improving their presentsituation.The emergence of substitute teachers is the result of many factors. From the aspect of social reason,with the advancement of city urbanization process, the number of students rises up to a certaindegree, it is necessary to increase the number of teachers accordingly. The employment of formalteachers needs to go through several formal procedures with the endorsement of differenteducational administration departments. Given the strictly limited employment conditions forteachers, those schools in dire need of hands have to resort to substitute teachers, mainly becausethey can do with lower salaries, more flexible in time, and pose a lower risk for dismissal. On theother hand, from the substitute teacher’s own point of view, the mobility of substitute teachers isclosely associated with that of a relative or friend. The change of workplace requires them to makedo with substitute teachers for the time being. Another part of substitute teachers are composed ofcollege graduates and job seekers, both of whom are turning to this job for the sake of survival orpersonal development, hoping that the identity of a substitute teacher will lead to a formal position inschools in the future. In several isolated cases, some retired formal teachers take the job of substituteteachers in order to enrich the retirement life or for an additional income to the families, whocertainly have no requirements for the shift of identity.The research reveals that the substitute teachers are working under more pressure with no lessworking hours than the formal ones, but with less payment and even far less satisfactory benefitpackages. In fact, no matter substitute teachers or formal teachers are looking forward to seeingsome improvement in the unfair situation at present.The alternation requires the attitude adjustment of teachers，further betterment of educationaladministration system, some renovation in relative governmental departments，enforcement ofconcrete policies in favor of substitute teachers, and raising the awareness of the whole society.