the best way to increase the quality of education is to increase teacher’s salaries
2009.4.03 What are the deciding/major contributing factors in a well-rounded education?This has been a contentious issue.Among the various answers,however,the stength of teaching squad is beyond debate.Then the answer to how to increase the quality of our education becomes obvious:Better teaching staff,better education.Unfortunately,another question arises with this apparent answer:how to increase the ability of the schools’ teaching staff?As far as I am concerned,Enhancing their salary levels is a good,yet far from the best,measure. this measure also suffers risks that it may turn out to be counterproductive. Teachers are playing an increasingly important role in school education today.They are not only involved in trational class teaching and aftercalss research,but also serves as role models of students,especially teenagers.Their teaching capability and ethical standards are crucial to students academic progress and mental development.Frankly speaking, many teachers deserve a better income which will satisfy their personal needs as well as stimuate them to further improve their job performance. However,I see no correlation between income level (as long as it is adequate) and teaching abilities.On the contrary,the motive to pursue a high income will sometimes distract teachers form their work and obligations.For example,If a college professor,in pursuit for money and fame(higher fame means higher salary) ,attends too many public affairs to tout his newly published book or frequently appears in TV programs,he will ignore his responsibility for tutoring students and no longer focus on research project.And the college’s education quality will thus be damaged. Besides a salary increase,there are a number of ways to enhance a school’s education quality: introducing competition and performance evaluation system in teaching staff,offering training programs,or orgnizing teachers forums which faciliates discussion and communication among teachers.After all,increasing the teacher’s salary is not the first option since it will also increase the university’s cost. Overall,Qualified teaching staff can enhance the quality of education.To improve the strength of the teaching staff,the school board has a variety of choices,among which a pay raise is not the priority. |