Monday, September 10, marks Teachers’ Day in China this year. To help understand teachers’ contribution to Chinese society, the People’s Daily app presents some fun facts about Chinese teachers. (Source: official website of Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China)

The overall number of full-time teachers in China in 2017 has risen nine percent from 2013, reaching 16 million. There is one full-time teacher for every 85 Chinese people in 2017, and 65 percent possibility this teacher is female.

The pupil-teacher ratio of preschool education institutions in China had a significant improvement from 2013 to 2017. In 2017, one teacher took care of 21 pupils, two fewer than five years ago.

Female staff represents the majority of full-time teachers in primary school, and their proportion keeps growing. In 2017, the proportion of female teachers was 67 percent, six percent higher than the ratio in 2013.

The age balance of cohorts of teachers in junior high school is now more balanced. This is because of a shift from the group “35 to 39” in 2013 to “40 to 44” in 2017.

Foreign languages, mathematics, biology, chemistry and language and literature are the top five subjects in senior high school with the biggest growth in the number of teachers holding a bachelor’s degree or above. Biology, geography, composite practice, music and fine arts increased at a faster rate than other subjects.

The academic qualifications for being a college teacher have increased as well, with more and more college teachers holding a doctoral degree.

In secondary vocational schools, the numbers of teachers in recreation services, communication and transportation, and tourism services have increased the most in the five years, while the numbers of teachers in energy and agricultural fields have decreased the most.

An increasing number of people choose to devote their knowledge to special education in China from 2013 to 2017.