Can the Silver-Age Plan Help to Improve Rural Education?

The Education Department of the Shaanxi Provincial Government has announced a silver-age plan, intending to recruit 262 retired professional teachers below the age of 65 to help with school education in poverty-stricken counties in the province. The teachers must have attained a certain professional level prior to retirement. Headmasters, experienced teachers and teachers of specific grades are to be included. The volunteer educators will serve for at least one academic year, and those who meet the required standard will be encouraged to extend their contracts.

The plan is an effort to improve education in rural areas. Due to social and economic reasons, schools in remote, under-developed areas often lack qualified teachers and lag behind the teaching methods, facilities, and management of urban schools.

It is hoped that these veteran teachers can contribute rich teaching experience at these schools. They may choose to