Capacity or money? Why students choose to drop out of junior high school in rural northeast China

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study analyses student and parental perspectives on the decision to drop out from a rural junior high school in northeast China. Data were collected in 2017 via participant observation, focus groups with students who were considered at “high risk of dropping out”, and semi-structured interviews with parents. The official Chinese dropout rate during the nine years of compulsory education is 6.2%; however, in this case, the cumulative dropout rate was as high as 43.1%. Beyond analysing the poor education environment, low academic performance, and pressures from private tutoring, migrant families’ situations were also examined for a deeper understanding of the motivations of dropouts and their parents. Official discourse in China blames high dropout rates on students’ “study-weariness”; however, this study suggests that, given the intense competitiveness of the country’s education system and the disadvantages of rural residents, dropping out may seem a rational choice for many rural families.