Summary of Key Points
This news article focuses on how changes in population structure are driving the optimization of educational resources. As the school-age populations for primary schools (in 2023), junior high schools (in 2026), senior high schools (in 2029), and higher education (in 2032) reach their peaks in China, two major adjustments are taking place in the education sector: firstly, there is a redistribution of primary school teachers to junior high schools to address the surplus of teaching staff due to a decrease in the number of students; secondly, small-class teaching is entering a "window period," with various regions and policies promoting it as the new norm to improve the quality of education.
Detailed Analysis
1. Decrease in Primary School Teachers: Not Laidoffs, but a Reduction in Student Numbers
The number of full-time primary school teachers in 2025 is 131,900 fewer than in 2024, and the reason is simple: the number of children in primary schools has reached its peak and is now declining. The peak in the number of primary school students was reached in 2023, and since then, the number has been decreasing year by year, naturally reducing the need for teachers. Meanwhile, the school-age populations for junior high schools and senior high schools have not yet peaked (junior high schools will reach their peak in 2026), leading to a shortage of teachers in those grades—creating a contradiction where there are more primary school teachers than needed in junior high schools.
2. Redistributing Primary School Teachers to Junior High Schools: An Cost-Effective Internal Adjustment
To address the surplus of primary school teachers and the shortage in junior high schools, many regions have adopted the strategy of transferring teachers with experience in both levels of education to junior high schools. For example, Tianchang City in Anhui Province has publicly selected primary school teachers to teach in junior high schools. Professor Ding Changfa from Xiamen University notes that this approach does not increase the number of teaching positions or financial burdens; it simply reallocated existing teacher resources, solving both problems without the need for new hires or additional funding.
3. Small-Class Teaching Enters a "Golden Window": Fewer Students Mean Smaller Classes
In the past, many primary schools had large classes with over 56 students. Now that the number of students has decreased, the proportion of large classes has also dropped—from 0.64% in 2024 to 0.58% in 2025, with a reduction of 2,300 large classes. Experts highlight the many benefits of small-class teaching:
- Teachers can provide more individual attention to each student (even those who are quieter);
- Classrooms can be arranged in groups, and homework can be tailored more personalized;
- Interdisciplinary learning and project-based teaching methods can be implemented, fundamentally improving the quality of education.
4. Policy and Local Initiatives: Small-Class Teaching as the New Norm
The national "15th Five-Year Plan for Education Development" explicitly calls for the promotion of small-class teaching and the establishment of mechanisms to predict school-age populations, allowing for flexible allocation of teaching staff and school facilities. Regions across China are taking action, from Nanjing and Changzhou in Jiangsu to Ordos in Inner Mongolia. Shandong Province has set a specific goal of making small classes with around 30 students the norm by 2035—meaning that classrooms will become smaller and teachers will have more individual attention to each student.
5. The Logic of Educational Resource Allocation: Following the Direction of Population Changes
The core of these educational adjustments is to allocate resources according to population trends. Resources are directed to areas with more students, and where there are fewer students, they are reallocated accordingly. Whether it's through teacher transfers or small-class teaching, the aim is to avoid waste and ensure that every student receives adequate educational resources, ultimately making education more efficient and personalized.
Conclusion
Changes in population structure act as a guiding principle for educational reforms, shifting from expansion of scale to improvement in quality. The redistribution of teachers addresses current staffing issues, while small-class teaching lays the foundation for better educational outcomes in the future. For parents and students, smaller classes and more individual attention from teachers are tangible benefits. For society, the optimized allocation of educational resources also leads to more efficient use of fiscal investments. Ultimately, every child benefits from these adjustments.