Why would the government want to cover up this teacher strike like this? The photos linked to at 163.com have also been shut down. If I hadn’t come across Global Voices Online by chance, I think I would have never known about this incident. In June 2006, American media expressed misgivings when it was exposed that the Bush government was tapping phones across America. Just how much more is the government hiding from us? ‘Those poor Americans,’ I thought when I saw this, ‘we’re not so brazen here in China.’ Now this same concern has dropped down on my own head……

I’m not familiar with the role China’s official union(s) play when it comes to collective bargaining and such, including in regards to teachers, but I’d be thrilled to read anything you could suggest, Chinese or English.

–解决教育经费（其中也包括教师的工资发放）问题是国家的责任，为什么非要把教师涨工资和学生收费挂钩呢？！这不是刻意把教师福利与学生权益对立起来吗？！况且，国家各部门各阶层当中比教师收入高的何其多。。。，为什么就非得要教师这一整体还处于低下收入的阶层单独来承担这一国之大任呢？！情操总不能当饭吃吧！？至于个别地区个别教师的收入和生活水平比较高，我们应该乐见其成才对！在同一地域，当大多其它行业的人都能获得良好生活品质的时候，难到教师就不可以吗？就还得一直要做”臭老九”、穷书生不成？！
Resolving education funding (included in which are teachers’ payrolls) problems is the responsibility of the state, so why must teacher salaries be linked to student fees?! Wouldn’t this painstakingly pit teachers’ welfare against students’ interests? Moreover, the wages at different governmental levels and departments are much higher than teachers’…so why must all teachers stay in the lower-wage class and singularly bear this great burden for the nation?! Sentiments don’t ever make for good food!? As for particular regions and particular teachers’ wages and standards of living being rather high, we should be glad for them! When most people from other professions in the same area can earn a nice quality of life, as if teachers should not? And stay ‘the stinking old ninth’s, poor scholars never to succeed?

再说，纵观当今世界发达国家无不把教育看成国家发展的重头戏，都是大手笔的投入，教师待遇和收入更是足以其它行业艳羡的，这样才能更多、更好地吸引更多精英和栋梁之才到教育行列中来，这样才能更好地为教育事业输送最优质的人才，才能保障国家的持续快速发展。
Again, a look around shows that there’s not a country in the world that doesn’t see education as a sign of their country’s development, they all invest large sums of money; when teachers’ salary and wages are the envy of other professions, only then will more and better talent come into the profession. Only thus will the highest-grade of talent be brought into the education profession, and the continued high speed of the country’s development be ensured.

凭心而论，我国现在的教师行业中（除了个别优质高校和中小学外），大多不都是泛泛之辈，有几成是精英人士（名牌大学出来当教师的人少之又少）？就算有个别不小心走进了这个行业，真正有能力有本事的人迟早不都跑光光了吗？可想，孕育国家未来的人大多数只是智力、学识、能力都只是中等上下水平的人，那我们的祖国的未来也是可以预知的了。。。（在这里绝无贬低我们可敬的人民教师之意，本人原来也是国内一大城市重点中学的教师；众所周知，师范大学的平均入学分数和要求大抵也就是在所有大学中的中间水平而已）
To be fair, within the country’s teaching profession at present (save particular high-grade colleges, universities, high- and primary schools), most of them are just mediocre? Just a fraction are outstanding (graduates from brandname universities going into teaching being fewer than few)?

Comments translated by John Kennedy

羽之助, I’ve made your correction, and Yin, I’ve switched ‘in contribution’ to ‘dedication.’ How’s that sound? Thank you both again very much for taking the time to point the mistakes out. 羽之助, I checked out your blog and have sent the address to GVO’s Northeast Asia editor Oiwan Lam. But Yin, where’s your blog??

1. China’s education isn’t equal to begin with, and educational expenditure isn’t high. If teachers’ salaries are raised, most probably it will come out of students’ own pockets. As for homes of students in economically undeveloped regions, this will undoubtedly increase their burdens.

My comment–
This commentator obviously has no basic understanding of education system of China. The salary of teacher are entirely from the government. Have nothing to do with tuition. Of course, if school is ran well and makes profit. Some of this profit goes to its employees — teacher. However, increase teachers’ salary is about asking government to put more money into schools. It is total irrelevant to the student’s tuition.

2. In many poverty-stricken regions, there are still many children who can’t afford to go to school, who can’t learn. If teachers take this money to send those kids to school, China would have a few less illiterates, so why don’t they?

My comment–
this comment is just not logical.

3. The spirit of this profession teaching is in contributing to begin with. If you choose this profession, you should feel this way.

My comment–
The translation is not accurate. This piece of comment is about asking teacher to sacrifice themselves for the good of society. I do respect people living that way but I cannot require others to live that way. I want to ask the commentator why you don’t sacrifice yourself, instead of asking others to sacrifice? The teachers do their jobs, why should not they get the reasonable salary as any other professions do? You live once and teachers live only once too. Why should you enjoy your life while asking teachers to suffer? What makes them deserve a miserable life?

4. At present, many teachers open up their homes offering private tutoring to their students. Every class fee is different. Twenty to thirty for junior high, forty to seventy for senior high, and even more so for university professors.

My comment–
The teachers may do private tutorial,s just like anyone else can do party job. So what? How is this related to pay rise? I cannot understand why doing part time job should prevent them from getting reasonable salary? Actually doing part time tutorial proves that teachers are not getting enough salary from their full time work.

5. In the city, teachers drive to work, and live in commercial housing. In some so-called well-known schools, this is something quite common. As if they need still need raises?

My comment–
This is not logical either. In well-known schools, teachers may get good income. However, what about the majority of the schools and the teachers working in those schools. The income of a handful of teachers in well-known schools cannot justify that most of teachers in other schools have to receive low salary.

Perhaps they were singing “The Internationale” as a rallying song.