Political Change and the Urban-Rural Gap in Basic Education in China, 1949-1990

Abstract

Difficulty in striking a balance between social and economic goals is a policy dilemma common to developing nations. The conflict has been particularly acute among socialist nations such as the People's Republic of China (PRC) that must balance the need for economic development against an inherent political agenda of reducing class inequities. Since the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949, the Chinese government has sought to construct an education policy agenda that promotes economic prosperity while remaining consistent with the socialist ideal of establishing an equitable society. The experience of China illustrates the difficulty of reconciling leftist social goals and economically pragmatic policies. Economic scarcity has dictated that policies designed to promote rapid economic development compete directly for resources with policies designed to expand social opportunities to traditionally disadvantaged groups. Changing fortunes of leftist and more moderate players in the political arena have brought repeated shifts in the relative importance assigned to economic and social goals. The philosophical underpinnings of educational policies have reflected these shifts, alternating between a socialist egalitarian model of education and a liberal competitive model.' Education policies of the early years reflected attempts from radical left-wing and more moderate camps to combine the goals of socialism with the need for economic development. The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) signaled the unchecked ascendancy of leftist ideological goals in educational policy-making; policies in the ensuing years reflected a focus on economic issues.2