Establishing a County-Level Teacher Supply Mechanism Aligned with Changes in School-Age Population

Abstract

School-age population serves as a key variable influencing teacher resource allocation. Amidst the current wave-like fluctuations in school-age population, multiple inconsistencies exist between county-level teacher supply mechanisms and future demographic shifts. These include: temporal mismatches between static teacher staffing quotas and dynamic population fluctuations; spatial inconsistencies between rigid urban-rural teacher allocation patterns and the concentration of school-age populations in urban areas; structural disconnects between persistent teacher shortages and evolving educational needs of the school-age cohort; and the temporal mismatch between fragmented administrative management and complex demographic shifts. To address these four contradictions, this study proposes four strategies for counties: 1. Establish a dynamic staffing management and precision planning response system driven by digital and intelligent technologies; 2. Innovate a new ecosystem for urban-rural teacher allocation and incentive safeguards that fosters shared development; Implementing targeted transformation strategies for optimizing teacher workforce structure and enhancing professional quality; and Refining modern education governance and comprehensive support mechanisms through multi-stakeholder collaboration.