Education in China is unfair and unequal
The current inequality in educational resources between rural and urban China will be explored in depth. The inequality of educational resources between rural and urban China is a multifaceted challenge that not only goes to the heart of education and social justice but is also closely linked to economic development, health security, and social stability, and various actions have been taken by the government to address educational inequality.
The urban-rural gap in educational resources
Inequality in the allocation of educational resources is a persistent issue in China. Schools in rural areas frequently need more qualified teachers, antiquated facilities, and a lack of funding for education. On the other hand, urban schools frequently possess superior educational resources, such as more comprehensive teaching materials, superior teachers, and better learning environments. Social inequality is exacerbated by this discrepancy, which results in notable variations in academic performance between students from cities and back countries.
Inequality in educational resources is reflected not only in material conditions but also in educational opportunities. Higher education levels and greater availability of educational support services, like tutoring and extracurricular activities, are more common among urban students (Wikipedia, 2022). Children of migrant workers cannot enjoy equal access to educational resources in back countries due to various administrative and financial barriers brought about by the hukou system, and rural students are frequently unable to access these services due to financial constraints (Stillwell & Xiang, 2023). The rural population is compelled to live in poverty due to severe educational disparities between urban and rural children, including immigrant children.
Social class and educational inequity
It is impossible to overlook the influence that social class has on this process. The gap between the rich and the poor gets wider due to the unequal distribution of educational resources, reflected in the overall unequal distribution of social resources. People from different family backgrounds have significantly different educational standards; children from higher socioeconomic families tend to have higher educational standards (Tang, 2016). Due to their family's socioeconomic standing, rural students—especially those from low-income families—cannot access high-quality educational resources, which reduces their opportunities to rise above poverty (Tang, 2016).
The economic foundation directly influences beliefs and expectations regarding education. According to a Chinese survey comparing urban and rural families, 6–9% of rural families sent their kids to work (Bradley, 2020). Families and students in rural areas with low economic status might prioritize immediate financial gains over long-term educational investments. Because of this, many students leave school early to find employment to help pay for living expenses for their families (Bradley, 2020).
Quality of life and employment prospects
The prospects for employment and people's quality of life are significantly impacted by educational inequality. An individual's employment opportunities, income level, and social status are all directly impacted by their level of education. The disparity in educational resources between civic and rural residents in China's highly educated society exacerbates their socioeconomic status gap. While those from rural areas with lower levels of education face more challenges in finding work and more demands on their lives, well-educated people in urban areas typically have more employment opportunities and can earn higher incomes (Mok, 2015). In addition to impeding social and economic advancement, illiteracy may raise the likelihood of juvenile criminality. Young people may be more likely to commit crimes if they do not have access to education and employment opportunities (PLAIN ENGLISH, 2024).
Links between education and healthcare
Jia et al. (2023) discovered that there are disparities between China's rural and urban areas regarding the number of households, income, type of work, educational attainment, and the availability of health care. She also discovered that there is a correlation between health and educational inequality. Higher education levels and better health are strongly correlated. Higher-educated people are more likely to take preventive action, be aware of health issues, and make better use of available medical resources. However, due to various factors like education level, rural residents—particularly those living in remote areas, the elderly, and those with low levels of education—do not pay enough attention to their health. These individuals typically lack healthy lifestyles and behaviours and have low health awareness.
Measures taken by Governments and organisations
The Chinese government has implemented several initiatives to address the issue of resource inequality in education. The Chinese government has implemented several policies, such as student loans, grants, and scholarships for underprivileged students, since 2000 to lessen educational disparities between civic and rural areas (Guo & Li, 2024). To attract more exceptional teachers to teach in rural areas, these include increasing the financial investment in rural education, enhancing the facilities of rural schools, and increasing teacher compensation. Furthermore, it has instituted several focused educational initiatives, including the Rural Teacher Support Program and the Rural Student Financial Assistance Program, to diminish the educational disparity between rural and urban regions. Moreover, the Chinese regulator is making a fresh effort to lessen the uneven distribution of educational resources at the compulsory education level due to regional and economic disparities by implementing the double-dip policy in 2021 (JDSUPRA, 2021).
The Chinese government has released new guidelines that encourage more seasoned urban principals and teachers to work in rural schools to address the disparity in educational resources between urban and rural areas (SHUO, 2022). The change stipulates that teachers with more than three years of such experience will be given preference for headship positions and that those who wish to advance to senior professional teacher status must have taught in a rural or less developed school for at least one year (SHUO, 2022).
References
Bradley, M., 2020. Elevated School Dropout Rates in Rural China. [Online] Available at: https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/elevated-school-dropout-rates-in-rural-china[Accessed 11 2 2024].
Guo, Y. & Li, X., 2024. Regional inequality in China's educational development: An urban-rural comparison. Heliyon, 10 2.
JDSUPRA, 2021. China Releases "Double Reduction" Policy in Education Sector. [Online] Available at: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/china-releases-double-reduction-policy-1019987/[Accessed 11 2 2024].
Jia, C. et al., 2023. Inverted U-shaped relationship between education and family health: The urban-rural gap in Chinese dual society. [Online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9874332/[Accessed 11 2 2024].
Mok, K. H., 2015. Massification of higher education, graduate employment and social mobility in the Greater China region. [Online] Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01425692.2015.1111751?casa_token=wi3oB0cCnuoAAAAA%3Aertj2wGluoUi6jBbqFxvEGfPTD2M3Zp3Ul0mVxiNiq4vOA2wDBSzBPjocRdZDR7qAQVanc9c-dIz[Accessed 11 2 2024].
PLAIN ENGLISH, 2024. LOW LITERACY RATES AND CRIME. [Online] Available at: https://www.plainenglishinc.org/low-literacy-rates-and-crime/[Accessed 11 2 2024].
SHUO, Z., 2022. Ministry pushes to get more talented teachers in rural areas. [Online] Available at: https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202204/15/WS6258c8c6a310fd2b29e5721a.html[Accessed 11 2 2024].
Stillwell , J. & Xiang, L., 2023. Rural–Urban Educational Inequalities and Their Spatial Variations in China. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy, pp. 873-896.
Tang, J., 2016. Lost at the starting line”: a reconsideration of educational inequality in China, 1978–2008. The Journal of Chinese Sociology, 23 5, Volume 3.
Wikipedia, 2022. Education inequality in China. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_inequality_in_China
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