Advances in Village Girls’ Education: Revealing Social Change in China

Abstract

This study is constructed of life course profiles of the educational trajectories of a cohort of rural girls from a village in the mountains of western China during critical educational reform years. Observational date were collected annually from 2000-2022. Findings show that even in remote mountainous region of China, village girls attained surprisingly advanced educational levels. Specifically, 76 percent of the participants had attained education beyond the compulsory level; 92 percent progressed to senior secondary school, and their graduation rate was 94 percent. The entrance rates to tertiary institutions rose to 100 percent of graduates. Notably, a substantial proportion of the participants, constituting 29 percent, persisted in tertiary education, with a notable 17 percent gaining admission to academic tertiary institutions. The case study conducted in Sha’anxi, situated in one of the most remote mountainous regions, illustrates a profound transition in schooling dynamics from rural to urban contexts. This comprehensive transformation prompts a reasonable inference that similar patterns of schooling migration are likely observable in less remote rural areas across China. Consequently, there arises a compelling argument for the integration of educational provisions in migrant “urban villages” and “peri-urban rural developments” into the municipal school systems, ensuring equitable allocation of resources to these under-resourced areas. Especially in light of China’s significant aging population skewness, the integration of urban migrant educational provisions becomes even more imperative.