Chinese Rural Female Students’ Access to Higher Education

Abstract

The extent of women’s educational rights does not depend entirely on political, economic and social factors, but is also closely related to sociocultural traditions. In China, the rights to education are not only the basis for women’s life, but also the symbol of women’s liberation as the level of education and culture represent the ability of women and the driving force that helps with improving women’s educational destination. The educational level of rural women and the overall development of the whole society, however, are of vital importance. Rural education is the foundation and key to solve Chinese equal education in the future, and the development and improvement of rural women’s access to higher education is more related to rural gender equity, education harmony and new rural construction. Firstly, the paper will review the background of Chinese rural female students in accessing to higher education and why it’s important for rural women to achieve academic and personal development. Second, it will expound the status quo of rural women’s higher education in China at three levels of entity, consciousness and policy. Finally, the paper will critically analyze international and national policies and practices that assigned to address Chinese rural female students’ enrollment in higher education and give corresponding recommendations.