The number of China's primary school teachers in 2003 was down by 76,000, or 1.3 percent, over the previous year, while that of middle school and college teachers up by 267,000, officials with the Ministry of Education said Thursday.

The decrease of primary school students last year was the fourth consecutive drop since 2000 due to the fall of the number of kids of primary school age and the restructuring of the schools, noted the officials, who did not comment on those primary school teachers laid off or retired.

The officials explained that China's successful introduction of nine-year compulsory school education in the past decade has led to a plateau period of expansion of its education resources for primary schools, as almost all kids of primary school age are at school throughout the Chinese mainland, except some remote and mountainous regions.

China's number of primary school teachers grew by 249,000, from 5.611 to 5.86 million, between 1994 and 1999, but the figure declined by 160,000 between 2000 and 2003.

The number of the country's middle school teachers continued to grow, ballooning by 780,000 between 1994 and 2003 to 5.497 million.

The officials said China needs more senior middle school teachers as more students reach that age.

China increased its senior middle school teachers by 125,000, or 13.2 percent, last year, said the ministry.

The country's college teachers, meanwhile, rose 106,000, or 17.7 percent, to 725,000 last year as China is offering more higher education opportunities to young people.

The annual growth rate of China's college teachers was below 2.2 percent from 1994 to 1998; it grew rapidly from 1999 to 2003, when a net 318,000 teachers were hired to teach a growing number of college students.

China has been following the basic policy of "invigorating the Chinese nation through science and education" for the past two decades, and its rapidly growing manufacturing and service sectors have created a huge demand for skilled workers and professionals.

Two decades after China created a Teachers' Day, which falls on September 10, teaching, once considered undervalued and underprivileged, has come to be regarded as one of the best professions in China, as teachers are well-paid and have two-month paid holidays each year.

Primary and middle school teachers' income has risen nearly 11-fold between 1984 and 2004, while that of college teachers has increased 17-fold during the period, Beijing Youth Daily reported Thursday, adding that teachers in China now earn more than the average of white collar workers.