In its pursuit of becoming an educational powerhouse, China will strengthen its teaching workforce by developing more high-quality professionals, especially in rural and less developed areas, officials from the Ministry of Education said on Thursday.

Wang Jiayi, vice-minister of education, said the new guidelines published on Monday on advocating the spirit of educators and strengthening the building of high-quality professional teaching workforce for the new era have outlined specific measures, including strengthening professional integrity, conduct and skills of teachers, optimizing education resource allocation and protecting teachers’ rights and interests.

The guidelines will ensure about 18.92 million teachers at all levels in the country to become competent educators to further support the largest educational system in the world, Wang said at the news conference on the introduction of the guidelines, which have been issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

The guidelines also call for lifting teachers’ social status, fostering public respect for educators and encouraging public support for education.

“We hope that by 2035, teaching will become one of the most respectable and admirable occupations in China,” Wang said, at the news conference held by the State Council Information Office.

Yu Weiyue, director of the ministry’s department of teachers’ affairs, said at the news conference that more trainings and supports will be offered to teachers in rural areas and less developed regions.

“We will further boost the teaching force in those areas by recruiting more teachers and provide better trainings to teachers, especially those who teach subjects that are in shortage and weak,” Yu said.

Yu added that trainings for primary and high school teachers will also be enhanced as they count for 89 percent of the country’s teaching workforce. And, their professional integrity and skills are key in lifting the country’s standards in education.

“We will particularly provide trainings to primary and high school teachers who teach arts, music, science and mental health as well as soccer,” Yu said.

The guidelines also advocate zero tolerance for malpractice and violations of regulations concerning teachers, calling for strict enforcement of discipline and legal consequences for offenders.

The building of normal schools will be further supported. Also, stronger efforts are called for to ensure timely salary payments for teachers, alleviate unnecessary workloads and protect them from misconduct such as humiliation, defamation and rumors, according to the guidelines.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the Teacher’s Day, which falls on Sept 10.

Since then, teaching workforce has become much stronger. The number of teachers has increased to about 18.92 million last year from about 9.32 million in 1985, Li Yongzhi, president of the China National Academy of Educational Sciences, said at the news conference.