Education is a value-laden mechanism serving various national purposes. While politics were the most prominent factors driving Chinese education reform in the past, recent history indicates that additional factors also play a significant role. In our article, we examine teacher education and how educational policies have affected it in contemporary China. We begin by providing a historical description of teacher education in China; then, we use a shortened version of critical analysis of educational policies related to teacher education–- particularly, the most recent education policy of not charging fees to students who are enrolled in teacher education programs. Our findings reveal the following: (1) Reforms about teacher education are driven by political and economic needs rather than the development of teacher education programs or the needs of the Chinese public; (2) there is still much to be done to improve the quality of teacher education and education equity in China; and (3) bottom-up initiatives are needed to actually improve teacher education in China.
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