Teachers in Shanghai will be the first nationwide to undergo exams every five years to keep their jobs, Beijing News reported.

The Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (SMEC) is the first city in the country to stop the nationwide one-time certification system for primary and middle school teachers.

Teachers will have to re-qualify every five years until they have passed five consecutive tests, according to Zhou Jingtai, director of the personnel department of the SMEC.

Teachers will be tested on their professional ethics, skills and quantity of work. Those who fail the exam will not be allowed to continue teaching, according to the report.

The new rule has come into force from late August in Shanghai. It will also be extended to Beijing, and the provinces of Gansu and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.