Controversy and Resolution of Paid Tutoring by Basic Education Teachers from the Perspective of Public Ethics

In 2015, the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China issued the Regulations on Prohibiting Paid Remedial Classes in Primary and Secondary Schools and by In-service Primary and Secondary School Teachers, which established explicit regulatory norms for the paid private tutoring behavior of basic education teachers. From the theoretical perspective of public ethics, this paper analyzes the professional identity attributes and essential public ethical literacy of basic education teachers, and clarifies the core ethical requirements of impartiality and equality, integrity and self-discipline, and being a model for students imposed by the public nature of compulsory education. Combining the current development status of basic education in China, this study explores the existing causes and practical characteristics of paid private tutoring from three dimensions: teachers, market and policy supervision. Finally, it proposes a three-dimensional resolution strategy, including dredging educational demand through market-oriented means, safeguarding teachers' legitimate rights and interests via a legal path, and consolidating the professional ethical bottom line with regular teacher morality education. This research provides practical insights for standardizing the professional behavior of basic education teachers and safeguarding the public nature of compulsory education in China.