From cute to empress

Chapter 294 The embarrassing situation of insufficient teaching staff

"Officials in some places seem to be pretending to obey but actually disobeying the reform measures and have not really implemented them..." Zhen Youcai's words echoed in my ears for a long time.

I put down the memorial in my hand and rubbed my tired eyes. Outside the window, the night was deep, and a few stars twinkled faintly, just like my mood at the moment, confused and heavy.

In the early days of the reform, good news came from all over the country. The dilapidated schools were completely renovated, books, paper and ink were replenished, and many children from poor families entered the school for the first time. However, as time went on, some problems gradually emerged.

"Your Majesty, please read this memorial." Zhen Youcai handed it to me, his brow furrowed. "This is a joint petition from students from Jiangzhou. We accuse local officials of withholding education funds, resulting in many newly built schools becoming mere decorations, leaving children without an education."

I took the memorial and read it carefully. Every word was filled with the students' thirst for knowledge and their indignation against injustice. My heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and it ached.

"Your Majesty, I have also received news," an official said. "In some remote areas of Yongzhou, although schools have been built as required, due to insufficient teaching staff, many schools only have one old teacher, who is unable to meet the learning needs of the children."

Hearing this, my heart grew even heavier. The original intention of the reform was to ensure that all children had equal access to educational resources, but now it seems that this path is more difficult than I imagined.

At this moment, a guard hurried in and reported: "Your Majesty, a student from Yuelu Academy wants to see you, saying that he has something important to report."

I nodded slightly and signaled the guards to bring the student in.

A moment later, a student in a blue shirt walked into the imperial study. Although he was dressed simply, his eyes were clear and his demeanor revealed the elegant temperament of a scholar.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." The student bowed respectfully.

"No need to be so polite. What's your name? What do you want to report?" I asked gently.

"My name is Li Wenqing, and I'm a student at Yuelu Academy." Li Wenqing raised his head and said with a firm look in his eyes, "I've come here to report some issues that have arisen since the academy's reforms."

I motioned for him to continue.

"The educational reforms implemented by Your Majesty benefit the country and the people, and I am deeply grateful. The teaching facilities of the academy have been greatly improved, and students now have a better learning environment. But..." Li Wenqing paused, seeming a little hesitant.

"Just say it," I encouraged.

"However, I've noticed that the teaching quality of some teachers varies greatly. Some teachers just read from textbooks and do things perfunctorily, so the students don't learn anything at all." Li Wenqing took a deep breath and said with courage, "If this continues, I'm afraid it will affect the quality of teaching at the academy and let down your majesty's painstaking efforts."

Li Wenqing's words rang out like a thunderclap in my ears. My heart sank, and a bad premonition washed over me.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say!" At this moment, an old minister stood up and walked tremblingly to the center of the hall...

The old minister knelt tremblingly and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am terrified! I have served in the Ministry of Rites for many years and know that the responsibility of teaching and educating people is heavier than Mount Tai. Now that Your Majesty is promoting educational reform, it is a great thing that benefits both the country and the people, but I didn't expect..." He paused, as if mustering up courage, "I didn't expect that it would actually chill the hearts of many diligent teachers!"

I was startled and said quickly, "Old Master, please stand up quickly. What do you mean? If you have anything to say, just say it."

The old man slowly stood up and sighed, "Your Majesty, you may not know that after the reform, the number of students in various places has increased dramatically, and the teaching workload of teachers has also increased accordingly. Teachers who originally only had to teach a few students now have to face dozens or even hundreds of students. Correcting homework and preparing lessons every day have already exhausted them. Some teachers are even old and have little energy, but they still have to force themselves to do this. It's really..."

"Yes, Your Majesty." A dusty teacher in a long, azure robe stepped forward. He bowed and said, "I am an instructor at the White Deer Grotto Academy. I've come here precisely for this matter. After the reforms, the academy not only requires us to teach more students, but also adds many new assessment standards. Although I dare not slack off in the slightest, I feel overwhelmed!"

Only then did I realize that the reforms had been so drastic that they had neglected the feelings of those who truly taught and educated people. Many of them had diligently dedicated their entire lives to education, yet now they felt the pressure and even dissatisfaction of the reforms.

I glanced down below, and those students who were originally full of vigor and enthusiasm were now silent. Perhaps they also felt the hard work and helplessness of the teachers.

"Your Majesty," Zhen Youcai, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke up. He stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "I believe that reform should focus not only on improving hardware facilities, but also on improving software. Only by improving the treatment of teachers and alleviating their worries can we allow them to teach with peace of mind and improve the quality of teaching."

I nodded. Zhen Youcai's words had enlightened me. I looked at the teacher from the White Deer Cave Academy and asked, "In your opinion, how can we improve the treatment of the teachers and alleviate their worries?"

The teacher pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, I think you can increase the teachers' salaries to reduce their teaching burden, and organize regular training to improve their teaching level."

"That makes sense," I praised, turning to look at Zhen Youcai. "I'll leave this matter to you. Develop a detailed plan, and be sure to put the interests of the teachers first."

"I obey your order!" Zhen Youcai accepted the order.

I looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Education is the foundation of a nation and the key to its prosperity. I hope that through this reform, we can truly improve the current state of education in our dynasty, so that all children can receive a good education and become pillars of our country!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" everyone responded in unison.

I know that the road to reform is still long, but I believe that as long as we persevere, we will be able to overcome all difficulties and achieve the revitalization of education!

Afterward, I discussed a specific plan with Zhen Youcai, deciding to comprehensively improve teachers' remuneration and quality by increasing salaries, reducing burdens, and strengthening training and assessments. The new measures were quickly implemented across the country. However, just when we thought everything was moving in the right direction, we were unaware that even greater challenges lay ahead...

After the new plan was announced, all regions responded enthusiastically and began to implement teacher training. They initially thought everything would proceed smoothly, but unexpectedly, they encountered considerable resistance when implementing the new teaching methods and assessment standards.

"Your Majesty, I have heard that many teachers in academies have complaints about the new teaching methods, and some even have resistance to them." At the morning court session, the Minister of Revenue reported worriedly.

My heart tightened and I asked, "What exactly is going on?"

"Your Majesty, the new teaching method emphasizes inspirational education and encourages independent thinking. This is a stark contrast to the traditional rote learning method. Some veteran teachers, accustomed to reading from textbooks for years, have difficulty adapting to the new teaching method and are concerned that students will struggle to understand."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the Minister of Personnel echoed, stepping out of the group. "The new assessment standards are even stricter. They not only examine students' academic performance, but also focus on evaluating their overall qualities. Some teachers believe the standards are too high and difficult to achieve, and they are also worried that it will affect their own assessment results."

Hearing this news, I couldn't help but feel heavy-hearted. It seems that reform is not always smooth sailing, and changing deeply rooted old ideas is not easy.

"Youcai, what do you think?" I turned to look at Zhen Youcai beside me, hoping to hear his different opinions.

"Your Majesty," Zhen Youcai pondered for a moment and then bowed, "I think that instead of discussing this in the court, why don't we visit the academies in person and understand the true thoughts of the teachers before making a final decision."

My eyes lit up. This was indeed a good idea. Only by going to the front lines could we truly understand the crux of the problem and find the best solution.

So, Zhen Youcai and I went on an incognito tour, visiting academies across the country to conduct research. We visited Yuelu Academy, Bailudong Academy, and many other renowned institutions, where we had long conversations with the masters and listened to their voices.

At Yuelu Academy, an elderly gentleman excitedly expressed his concerns: "Your Majesty, I have taught for decades and understand the importance of the dignity of the teacher. While new teaching methods advocate equality between teachers and students, I worry that this will cause students to lose their respect for their teachers and undermine classroom order!"

At the White Deer Grotto Academy, a young teacher expressed a different view: "Your Majesty, I believe that while the new teaching method places higher demands on us, it also provides us with greater room for development. I am willing to try new teaching methods, hoping to inspire students to have a greater passion for learning."

Throughout my visits, I discovered that the teachers' attitudes toward reform varied. Some expressed concerns and resistance, while others expressed understanding and support. I realized that the key to successfully implementing reform lay in addressing the teachers' concerns and ensuring their willingness to embrace new ideas.

"It seems that we still have a lot of work to do..." Returning to the palace, I rubbed my tired temples and sighed softly.

Zhen Youcai walked to the table, spread out a map, and said with a firm look, "Your Majesty, I have compiled the information about each academy into a book and have initially formulated some response strategies..."

He paused, pointed to a spot on the map, and slowly said, "I think we can first select a few representative academies as pilot sites..."