Tears, fears and cheers: responses to the post‐disaster school relocation policy in China

Abstract

This paper reports on the results of a qualitative study on the responses of Chinese school children in one junior middle school and their parents to China's post-disaster school relocation policy. The sample comprised 22 pairs of parent-child dyads and two pupils whose parents could not be contacted. The study results were reported using Chambers and Wedel's (2009) conceptual framework, which delineates the fundamental elements of a policy. Content analysis was used to generate themes related to policy elements, such as goals, benefits and services. Both repetitive themes and idiosyncratic perspectives were reported so as to present a diversity of views. Despite adjustment difficulties and administrative problems reported by the study participants, the policy attention given to the rapid restoration of formal schooling for children was generally appreciated. The move back to the new school was greeted with cheer.