In 2007, the Chinese government piloted the Free Teacher Education (FTE) program in the top normal universities with the aim to enlist high-quality young graduates to join the teaching profession and to improve education in underdeveloped rural regions. However, a conflict has arisen as FTE students enrolled in the program are reluctant to work in rural schools. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 19 FTE students, this study argues that the curriculum of the FTE program needs to be reformed to combat the social mobility discourse and to include social equity and justice as essential components. (Contains 1 table.)