Dharamshala: - Emerging reports coming from Tibet say, over 160 substitute teachers those of who have a college degree recently have called for equal salaries and benefits. In 2004, substitute employees would receive a salary of between 500yuan and 1,000yuan per month and ten years later it still remains the same.
On 30 April, 2014, staff and substitute teachers gathered in Rebgong County, Malho, (Chinese: Tongren in Qinghai Province) north-eastern Tibet, to protest in order to increase their salaries and fight for their rights. In contrast to the full time staff they are known to be treated very poorly, more like servants than staff members, sources to the Tibet Post said.
Substitute teachers are being denied the same compensation that full-time teachers receive, even though they are also working full-time hours. Benefits for full-time staff include: promotions and medical care, as well as other perks.
Within Rebgong County teachers that are full-time employees receive a monthly salary of between 3,000 and 5,000 yuan. Whereas 'substitute' teachers only receive up to one-sixth of full-time employees salary, according to some sources within the County.
One protester claimed, "We are all high school graduates and are certified to work as teachers, and we want benefits and an increase in our pay."
"Many young and educated Tibetans are currently facing problems finding good jobs," another source said, adding that "most" graduates working in county and other local government offices are hired only as temporary workers and receive low pay.
Sources say this protest en-lights the ongoing problem in Tibetan Counties as an increasing number of teachers have been employed as 'substitute' teachers rather than full-time employees so not to receive benefits.
Similarly, Chinese staff are hired above the Tibetans in order to be used as a weapon for the promotion of Chinese language in order to be spoken throughout areas of Tibet.
Nonetheless, The Chinese Academy of Social Science's have published a 'green book' in which it states that they will increase all staffs salaries. Moreover, in other Provinces, autonomous regions and prefectures salaries have been increased. In Shanghai some teachers receive up to 10,620yuan, which is the highest paid teaching salary in China. However, the same rules do not apply throughout other regions.
Translated by Becky Bargh and Yangchen Dolma.
