Educational Reform in China Focusing on Narrowing the Education Gap: Progress, Challenges, and Trends in the 21st Century

• In Event: 18.014 - New Direction of Educational Reform for Educational Equality: Lessons From East Asia

Abstract

Purpose
This paper aims to review and examine the national and provincial level education reforms and policies focusing on narrowing the education gap in the new century in Mainland China.

Perspectives
Two sets of dimensions will be used to examine the education gap: (1) regional gap, urban-rural gap, and gaps related to special groups (ethnic minority, migrant students, left-behind students, etc.); (2) the gaps within education access, educational resources, education process, as well as education results. The development of education equity has gain a significant progress by a series of reforms taken place after the foundation of new China, particularly in the elimination of illiteracy, the universalization of nine-year compulsory education, and the enhancement of higher education and vocational training, etc. With the momentous socioeconomic change in the new century, especially under the context of urbanization, new challenges and problems emerged. For example, conflicts on college entrance opportunities between migrant and local students urgently call for new reforms. Attempting to confront the new challenges, national and local governments have been making efforts to enact education reforms in different aspects.

Data & Methods
Using content analysis method, this paper evaluates more than 700 pieces of yearly work-plans and related policy documents made by the Ministry of Education as well as the 34 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities since the year 2000.

Results
This paper finds that after the 16th, 17th, and 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the importance of education equity has reached a new stage. Policies addressed the tensions on special groups, such as rural students, migrant students, and minority students, have been implemented. Education resources, teacher qualities, school environment, and education accountability system have been continually improved and enhanced. However, the regional differences are significant. The policies and institutes to measure and ensure education equity need to be improved.

Scientific Significance
This paper seeks to gain insight into three questions: (1) What are the accomplishment and progress of education reforms related to narrowing the education gap in the new century? (2) Under the circumstances of socioeconomic changes and new challenges coming out, what are the trends and tendency of education reform addressing the education equity issues? (3) Based on the definition of education quality and equity within Chinese context, to what extent have the reforms meet the education quality and equity goals? This paper sums up and shares the most recent Chinese experiences and challenges, and contributes to the efforts of improving the education equity in East Asia through policies reforms.

Authors

• Tao Xin, Beijing Normal University

• Qian Zhao, Beijing Normal University

• Yujia Liu, Beijing Normal University