Is shadow education a myth? How schools affect private tutoring in China

Abstract

Shadow education, known as private tutoring, is expanding rapidly worldwide. While mainstream studies explain shadow education from a family-centered perspective, this study focuses on the role of the school. Using data from the China Panel Education Survey, this study discerns that active communications between schools and families can elicit private tutoring involvement. The school-initiated communications yield more positive and significant effects when schools impose heightened assessment pressure on teachers, suggesting an inextricable linkage between shadow education and formal schooling. The school effect is also more pronounced for economically disadvantaged families. These findings provide important insights for understanding how schools shape social stratification in China.