Exploring the Equity and Spatial Evidence of Educational Facilities in Hangzhou, China

Abstract

Inequity in education is a serious social problem in developing countries. This study aims to explore an integrated model and evaluate the spatial equity of primary school facilities based on GIS technology in terms of three perspectives including accessibility, facility quality and supply–demand relationship. In this study, an integrated equity evaluation was established. Then an ideal spatial distribution of schools was described, and the equity of primary schools in Hangzhou’s urban central area was measured. Meanwhile, the relationships among the equity of primary schools and urban population change, urban land expansion, housing price distribution and urban spatial structure were analyzed. The results revealed the spatial inequity of primary schools in Hangzhou. Specifically, (1) the high-quality educational outcome significantly related to student–teacher ratio, per capita financial expenditure for education, and land cost. (2) The accessibility of primary schools did not match the population suburbanization. (3) Inequality in the quality of education worsened social stratification since the quality of primary schools affected regional housing prices. (4) The population flow based on the quality of educational facilities influenced the supply–demand relationship of educational facilities. Our study is believed to deepen the understanding of spatial equity in education based on the urban spatial structure in urban planning. It offers new insights for educational facility planning.