Teachers in the Special Post Program who complete three years of service, pass evaluations, and wish to stay should be promptly added to the official teaching staff

Cost: There is no monetary cost. The price to pay is three years of teaching in rural compulsory education schools; applicants must also obtain a teaching certificate beforehand. The real challenge lies in staying committed throughout those three years.

In plain terms: The Special Post Program is one of the few pathways explicitly stating that eligible participants can be added to the official teaching roster after completing their service term. Requirements include a bachelor’s degree or higher, preferably in a teacher-training field, age not exceeding 30, and possession of the required teaching certificate. During those three years, compensation matches that of regular teachers employed by local public schools. Once the term ends, those who meet evaluation standards and wish to remain are supposed to be promptly added to the official staff list.

Benefit: The 2024 notice regarding the Special Post Program outlines hiring criteria: applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, preferably from a teacher-training background; for elementary schools, graduates from teacher-training colleges may also qualify. Age limit remains 30. A valid teaching certificate is mandatory. The notice further states that volunteers who participated in the “Western China Volunteer Program” or have prior teaching experience, as well as teacher-training graduates with at least six months of teaching internships, receive preferential treatment under equal conditions. Eligible veterans may also be considered for teaching roles in primary and secondary schools, with age limits adjusted based on their years of service. Compensation and official employment terms are defined accordingly: starting January 1, 2024, central government subsidies for Special Post teachers rose from 35,200 yuan per year in central regions to 38,800 yuan, and from 38,200 yuan in western regions to 41,800 yuan. These teachers are entitled to identical pay, professional title evaluations, awards, and annual assessments as regular teachers employed by local public schools. Upon successful completion of three years of service and passing evaluations, they must be promptly added to the official staff list, with all personnel and salary records transferred accordingly; their years of service and teaching experience are counted continuously, and no probationary period applies nationwide.

Evidence grade: A

Sources:教育部办公厅、财政部办公厅 (2024). 关于做好 2024 年农村义务教育阶段学校教师特设岗位计划实施工作的通知（教师厅〔2024〕1 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202405/content_6950803.htm

Notes: The benefit level is classified as “high” because securing official employment after completing the program represents a long-term career gain far exceeding any monetary value. The most recent publicly available document is the 2024 notice; policies for 2025 and 2026 have not yet been published. Exact postings, subsidy amounts, and age limits are determined by each province’s implementation plan within the central framework. Obtaining a teaching certificate beforehand is mandatory; it serves as a prerequisite for entry, not something that can be obtained after employment begins.