The Hangzhou Education Administration recently published on its official website a name list of the 186 new teachers in 25 local senior high schools, sparking a heated debate on the internet as to why these individuals seem overqualified.

Among the 186 individuals, 162 possess a master's degree and four hold doctorate degrees.

Many of them are fresh graduates from prestigious universities at home and abroad, including Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, Fudan University, Renmin University of China, University of Hong Kong, Stanford University, Columbia University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Université Paris VI, and National University of Singapore.

Most of these elite graduates will teach Chinese, English, mathematics, biology, geography, and other compulsory subjects that will be tested in the national college entrance exam.

Some netizens believe it is a waste of talent for these elite graduates to teach in senior high schools, while others contend that even highly talented people should feel motivated to be teachers as it is an honorable vocation that shapes the minds of the future generations.

Zhao Xinyi, a Wenzhou-born female holding a master's degree in education at Columbia University, is set to be an English teacher at Hangzhou No.14 High School.

Zhao told local media reporters that she had thought of becoming a teacher at a young age as many of her family members are school teachers. She added that the motivation behind her application for the education program at Columbia was to study how English is taught in the United States and to apply what she has learned to helping design better courses for Chinese students.

"The motto of Columbia University goes 'In thy light shall we see the light'. I hope to help teenagers find the light in themselves and I am ready to take on that challenge," said Zhao.

Zhao Xinyi is among the new hires at Hangzhou No.14 High School. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]