Focusing on Chinese education equity

Abstract

Education equity is a big challenge faced by every country all over the world. It has also become one of the most important social problems in China. Since Chinese college expansion in 1999, the gross enrollment rate of higher education has risen from 10.5% in 1999 to 23% in 2006. At present, education equity does not refer to educational privilege enjoyed by only a few people in elite higher education. Its problem lies in educational inequality in enrollment, teaching quality, major choice and tuition fees in mass higher education. Even at the stage of compulsory education, due to great regional differences in economic development, trade disparity and income inequality, there exists the education inequality in running school level and teacher qualifications despite the popularization of compulsory education. In view of it, the issue has four essays about education equity. Ding Xiaohao gives the answer to the question: Has higher education opportunities been equalized through enrolment expansion in China in the last decade? Her paper explores the role of socio-economic status in determining the access to higher education over time. Findings show that the overall equality of higher education opportunity has improved by embracing more marginal students into the lower-tier higher education institutions; however, students from higher socio-economic status have benefited disproportionably from the expansion in elite universities. A brief discussion of the potential implications is presented. Ding Weili and Lu Ming point out that lacking the guidance of general equilibrium theories in public economics and the corresponding proper mechanism designs, China has not surprisingly witnessed the inequality in educational expenditures across regions as well as insufficient funds towards education in poor areas. It is wrongly thought that what happens is due to the decentralized basic education financing system. Therefore, such a decentralized system is capable of encouraging local governments to improve the quality and