Hangzhou school offers its teachers time for love

A middle school in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, is offering its teachers who are single or childless an extra holiday to share time with their "significant others".

The public Hangzhou Dinglan Experimental Middle School, in Jianggan district, employs 124 teachers, among which 40 percent are single.

They will be entitled to two halfday "romantic holidays" each month, as long as their teaching and academic work is complete.

"The rule was stipulated in the wake of demands from young teachers and faculty," Lou Yang, head of the trade union with the school, told The Beijing News.

The school had launched a similar "parental leave" for teachers with kids, and "happiness holiday" for senior teachers.

Such innovative efforts have received applause from staff.

"I plan to apply for the holiday during weekdays, so I can stroll the local library with my boyfriend," said Ye Qiongqi, a science teacher at the school.

An official with the education bureau of Jianggan district said they welcome such innovative measures, "as long as they are within a moderate and reasonable range".

"Enough consideration should be given to both teachers' busy work and their personal life," said the official, who would not be named.

Various measures have been taken to improve teachers' social and economic status since the central authority announced a nationwide plan in January last year to improve the quality of teachers and raise their professional ethics.

According to the plan, the country wants to cultivate millions of "exemplary teachers" by 2035, aiming to make the teaching profession a more desirable one, enjoying great societal respect and fostering a sense of achievement.

"China will build a sound system for the training of teachers, improve their social status and raise their salaries to make sure primary and middle school teachers earn no less money than local government officials," the plan said.