Recently, Jiangsu Suzhou High School released a list of newly graduated students to be employed in 2025, showing that out of the 13 teachers hired by the school, 8 hold doctorate degrees and 5 hold master’s degrees, with 10 of them being graduates from Tsinghua University or Peking University. The list immediately sparked discussions and debates.
According to Jiu Pai News, among these 13 individuals, 6 are from Tsinghua University, 4 are from Peking University, 1 graduated from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and 2 from Nanjing University.
However, Tsinghua University and Peking University are the top 2 universities in China, while Nanjing University is a key member of the “Huadong Five Universities,” a group of elite universities in the eastern region of China. Although the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences is only a “double first-class” university, its strength is comparable to some of the 985 universities. Interestingly, among the 13 teachers hired, 5 have master’s degrees and 8 have doctorate degrees, with none being graduates in pedagogy.
According to the reporter’s investigation, Suzhou High School targeted newly graduated doctors in 2025 for this recruitment. Those who are newly graduated master’s students in 2025 are required to meet one of four conditions, such as receiving national scholarships at least three times during their master’s studies, or holding titles like “Three Good Students” or “Outstanding Graduates” at the provincial level or above. This indicates that having a master’s degree has become the minimum “threshold” for recruitment at the school.
Public information shows that Jiangsu Suzhou High School is one of the four major high schools in the Jiangnan region and is the alma mater of the late Nobel Prize-winning physicist of Chinese descent, Li Zhengdao.
The release of this list of hires by Suzhou High School has sparked attention online. Netizens have expressed various opinions, with some saying, “Graduates from Tsinghua and Peking University becoming high school teachers really devalues the significance of their degrees.” Others commented, “This only shows that even Tsinghua and Peking University graduates struggle to find jobs,” and “Having a high academic degree doesn’t necessarily guarantee academic success; in our experimental class, a highly educated teacher resulted in poor performance for two years, and by senior year, had to be replaced by a teacher with educational background.”
Some have pointed out, “The period for individuals aspiring to become teachers has been extended significantly: three years for a master’s degree and at least three years for a doctorate. This delays entering the workforce by six years.”
Furthermore, there are remarks such as, “Even graduates with bachelor’s degrees may not secure positions in kindergartens here. Now, elementary schools only hire teachers with master’s degrees, while those with bachelor’s degrees are not considered for positions.” Comments like, “Talents are being underutilized!” and “This kind of recruitment approach jeopardizes the aspirations of those who aim to become teachers; it feels like being snatched away halfway!” have also been made. Some are questioning the relevance of teacher training universities, calling for the relevant departments to deeply reflect on the causes of these abnormal phenomena, attributing them to the devaluation of academic qualifications and intensifying competition.