China school principals to rotate posts

Heads and teachers of high quality schools will take turns to serve in other schools, especially in rural areas or those with poor reputations, according to a plan released Tuesday.

The move is aimed at narrowing the gap between rural and urban areas and between different schools, said a statement issued by ministries of education and finance as well as human resources and social security.

After serving two tenures, headmasters and deputies in primary and junior high schools will take posts in other schools in the same county or district. Teachers will also rotate among schools after a certain number of years.

In some cities, tens of thousands of students compete for accesses to "key senior schools" with experienced teachers and better opportunities to be admitted to universities. Schools with poor reputations or located in rural areas often find it hard to attract students.

The widening education gap between regions and schools is attributed to unbalanced economic development and investment disparity.

China aims to achieve balanced performance among schools in the same county or district by 2020.