Exploring the Values of Transforming Turnaround Schools: China as a Case Study

• In Event: Resilience, Resistance and Protest: Voices from Students, Teachers, and Parents in China

Proposal

Abstract
The purpose of this study is to understand the values of transforming turnaround schools in China. The existence of turnaround schools is the result of the efficiency value under the certain historic conditions. Behind the efficiency value hides the mindset of ‘survival of the fittest’ and ‘the stronger prevails’. Because of the less competitive conditions, turnaround schools cannot attract the attention and acceptance of the students and the parents; at the same time, most of the resources are devoted into the key schools. However, education is an essential channel for individual citizens to migrate from the bottom of the social ranks upward; hence, the equality and fairness in education, the origin and core link of the equality and justice of the society, cannot be compromised.
Research method
Case study is used in this study when basic education system in China is treated as a case. Secondary data analysis was conducted.

Findings
1. The efficiency value of the Turnaround schools.
After the disastrous decade of ‘Cultural Revolution’ facing immense lack of human resources, it became a strong necessity for China to ‘develop focused key schools’ and to ‘produce more and better talented people’, in that China at that time had a large population but weak foundation. With unbalanced development between different regions and limited teachers, education funding, facilities, and equipment, it would not have been possible or reasonable to allocate all the resources fairly to all schools (Wang, 2012; Li, 2012). Therefore, in 1980s, after a public debate on fairness versus efficiency, China established a set of values such as ‘development is the fundamental principium’, ‘efficiency before fairness’, ‘having clear focus’, ‘walking with two legs’, etc. Consequently, fierce competition and the value of ‘only the strong can survive’ became apparent in multiple levels – policy, society as well as the schools. The lack of sufficient financial resources, a positive reputation and the competitive edge, the turnaround schools are in a rather disadvantaged position (Wang, 2010).
2. Equality in changes of turnaround schools
‘The equality in education is the source of and the most central link to equality of the society (Zhou, 2005 cited in Yuan, 2005; Ma, 2012). On the one hand, the equality in education is an indispensable part of the equality in the society (Jiang, 2007; Yang, Feng & Huang, 2007). Education is an essential element of the society, and the pursuit for equality and justice for the society as a whole can not succeed without the realization of equality and justice in the education sector itself. It would be hard to imagine for China to build a harmonious society without an equal and just education system (Yuan, 2005). On the other hand, equal and just education is a significant means to achieving equality and justice of the society.
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Thus far, based upon the currently available research finding, there are five fundamental principles that are accepted in relation to equality of educational resources:
1. Equal and fair distribution of resources.
2. Neutral status of financial supports.
3. Adjusting to special needs.
4. Sharing and compensation of the cost.
5. The flow of the public resources from the rich to the poor.

3. The denotation of the high quality and balanced development of China’s education.
In 2010, the Ministry of Education of the PRC issued The Advice on the Implementation of Scientific Development of Balanced Compulsory Education, and specifically mentioned high quality and balanced development. Not long after, the Ministry of Education signed the balanced educational development memorandum with 27 provinces and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. With the support of the Ministry of Education, all the provinces strive to achieve balanced development in compulsory education year by year with close consideration and comprehension of the local context. Such an initiation is not merely focused on the equality and efficiency, but more on the value of the balanced development under the unique context of the PRC.
1. High quality and balanced development is not about suppressing the top performing schools and help the weak, but strengthening the strong while supporting the weak (Li, 2012; Wu, 2012).
2. High quality and balanced development is not absolute equality but improvement with diversity.
3. High quality and balanced development is not a simple extension of the resource but the upgrade of the denotation (Li, 2012).
4. High quality and balanced development is not short-term partial development but long term and overall (Li, 2012).
As mentioned above, the efficiency value is the fundamental reason of the existence and cumulative problems of turnaround schools. However, taking into consideration of the historical context of China during that time, it is understandable and justifiable to concentrate the limited resources on the development of some well performing schools. Nevertheless, education must also serve a better function of mediating the equality and fairness of the society. The government of the PRC also developed new policies to ensure an equal and fair education. In order to avoid neglect due to over-simplification, the concept of balanced educational development has been introduced into the sector, guiding the relevant stakeholders to achieve the balance between fairness and efficiency.

Author

• Peng Liu, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba