Higher Education Admission Policy and Social Class of Ethnic Minority: The Case of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

Abstract

Gaokao has been considered as the gatekeeper of intergenerational class reproduction in today’s slowing social mobility in China. In order to bolster the fairness of Gaokao, the Policy of Bonus Scores for Ethnic Minority Candidates (PBSEMC) has been issued, whose, however, effectiveness in promoting upward social class has not been adequately empirically explored. The difference-in-differences (DID) analysis based on cross-sectional data, which is distinct from the traditional DID analysis paradigm, was implemented to assess the Reform of PBSEMC in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in 1988. The results showed that PBSEMC had a significant and positive impact on the social classes of ethnic minorities, and gender, residence type and occupation type were also relevant to social class, aligning with the previous literature. The PBSEMC is effective in improving the social classes of ethnic minorities. However, the PBSEMC policy should be made more precise, in order to benefit the candidates who are in genuine need of assistance.