Should men be offered perks to teach?

Since the fall of 2007, at least five provinces in China have introduced policies aimed at attracting male schoolteachers. In Fujian province, for example, male students are being offered various incentives, including free tuition for graduate studies.

Last year, Cai Zhuanyun, a deputy to the Shanxi provincial congress, proposed to offer incentives such as free tuition in response to the decreasing number of students, especially male, who are willing to study in teachers colleges.

But the measures have drawn criticism for being discriminatory toward women. In many colleges and universities across the country, female students account for more than 80 percent of the student population. The demand for male teachers therefore remains high in the education sector.