Between Main and Sideline Occupations: A Survey of the “Income-Generating” Activities of Rural Junior High School Teachers

Abstract

The Ministry of Education banned the “income-generating” activities of urban primary and secondary school teachers obtaining extra income by conducting paid supplemental classes, due to their social impact. Other than examining the policy provisions, however, there has not been much research by domestic scholars on urban teachers conducting paid supplemental classes. There is also a lack of reliable descriptions of whether rural junior high school teachers engage in income-generating activities and what those activities are. Based on a follow-up survey at a rural junior high school, this study describes the use of income-generating models by junior high school teachers in rural China, either “farming as a sideline” or “business as a sideline.” On this foundation, the author explores the relationships between the factors of age, family origin, and family structure and the teachers’ income-generating activities.