Problematizing Access and Success of Disadvantaged Students in Chinese Higher Education

• In Event: Alternative Notions of Student Access and Engagement in Universities in Postcolonial/Less-Developed Areas in China

Abstract

Disadvantaged students refer to students from ethnic minority groups, low social economic families, and students with disabilities in this study. China is a multi-ethnic state with 56 ethnic groups making up its population of 13.4 billion. According to the 2010 Chinese Census, 91.51% of the population (12.26 billion) was of the Han Chinese nationality, and 8.49% (113.77 million) was from 55 officially recognized ethnic groups. These minorities inhabit approximately 60% of Chinese territory, often in the strategically more important or sensitive areas along the borders. However, they make up 80% of China’s poverty population. Among the eight million students with disabilities in China, only 4.6% are in school. In 2012, only 7229 students with disabilities were enrolled in college and higher education institutions in China. Areas of studies for students with disabilities in higher education are limited, for example, to acupuncture or massage. Great disparity of educational resources exists between the advantaged and disadvantaged groups in China. In another word, China’s disadvantaged groups still face the problems of poverty and illiteracy, as well as lack of opportunities for quality higher education. First, this study reviews the existing literature and shares the current challenges, strategies, government policies and practices that address the unequal situation in Chinese higher education. Then, to answer the question of access and success, this study will use admission data from a major university in China to demonstrate the access rates of students from disadvantaged families over the past 20 years, and how education policies affect the access rate of disadvantaged students. As students with disabilities and from rural China and less developed inland areas are relatively weak in their academic preparation, empirical methods will be used to examine how disadvantaged students would fare academically at this major university and to compare their success rate with their peers.

Authors

• Guofang Wan, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Zhiyong Zhu, Beijing Normal University

• Sunny X Niu, Fudan University