Inequality in Chinese Education

Abstract

This article investigates the status of educational equality in China in the context of the reform of major Chinese economic, political, and social institutions at the turn of the twenty-first century. In the first part of this article, the authors address the importance of the theoretical issue of equality in education and explore the relationship between theories of human capital, modernization, and political culture. They begin with a general introduction of the theme, and then explore the linkages between basic education (literacy and numeracy), the increasing productivity of the labor force, and the essential guarantee of basic human rights—necessary for survival. They then discuss how advanced education provides people with the necessary adaptability and creativity to perform in a world characterized by rapidly developing technology and a complex management system. The second part of the article uses statistical data to describe current educational conditions and the extent of the variance in educational attainment for different groups. They conduct the analysis from two perspectives: (1) comparing the effects of gender, ethnicity (minorities), and disability status on educational attainment; and (2) by comparing the effects of gender, minority status, and disability status on educational attainment in four types of regions, as defined by economic and social development. In the final part of the paper, the authors try to find the particular government policies that are responsible for exiting discrepancies in educational achievement. The article concludes with a number of policy recommendations.