From Chinese Press

Teachers not true to their job

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-25 08:05

Yin Xiaobing, an associate professor of business at Yunnan University, not only shows off his wealth and cars, but also gives "friendly reminders" to his colleagues that "full devotion to teaching is self-destruction". He has told his colleagues that he spends only one-third of his energy on teaching, says an article in Yangtze Evening Post. Excerpts:

Yin says university teachers' status depends on which part of the "hierarchical" pyramid they belong to. At the bottom are the ones who are only good teachers, in the middle are those who excel in teaching as well as projects, and at the top are administration staff members.

If a university teacher wants to reach the top of the "pyramid", he/she has to be a good teacher. But if a reacher devotes his/her entire life only to teaching he/she would be moving toward "self-destruction", Yin says.

A teacher's job is to impart knowledge and clear doubts. But today there is a mismatch between university teachers' identity and their responsibility. Teaching seems to be the last thing on their mind. Worse, many famous professors and academics assign the teaching tasks to their assistants. It is ironical for university teachers to be occupied with all kinds of projects, instead of actually teaching.

Yin's comment can be seen as a complaint against the current high education evaluation system, too. Such a phenomenon is the result of a twisted mechanism that prompts university teachers to attach great importance to research programs instead of teaching.