Substitute teacher Wang Zhengming is teaching at Zhangjiabao Primary School in Gansu Province.

Harsh action by local government

But in all too many cases governments have taken harsh action against these long-standing public servants. Take, for example, Huining, a tiny, impoverished county in Gansu Province that employs a large number of substitute teachers.

On June 28 2004, the local education office announced that they were holding an examination to select regular primary and middle school teachers and invited substitute teachers to take part.

The examination was held on August 2, 2004 and 223 college graduates and 178 substitute teachers passed the exam.

Three years later, 177 of the original 178 substitute teachers selected were still working for the authority. But in September 2007 they discovered that the college graduates who had taken the exam alongside them had been receiving 2000 yuan per month (US$292.6) while they had been paid only 300 yuan per month (US$43.8).

Enraged, the substitute teachers complained to the education department.

The government's response was to demand the substitute teachers sign new contracts by the end of the year. Those who refused to sign would be considered to have dismissed themselves. The salaries of those who signed would be increased to 360 yuan (US$52.6).