Tutoring or Enrichment? Family Choices and Social Stratification in Out-of-School Programs in China

• In Event: Children and Youth Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4: Global Educational Stratification and "Shadow" Schooling

Abstract

Since the late twentieth century, out-of-school education has expanded globally and become increasingly diversified. As an important form of educational investment, out-of-school education has emerged as a key mechanism through which families strategically select different types of programs for their children to facilitate intergenerational resource transmission and social class reproduction. Utilizing data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study investigates two key questions: (1) whether families from different social classes invest in distinct types of out-of-school education programs; and (2) how class differences in the types of education programs vary across educational stages from kindergarten through high school. Results show a significant class disparity in family investments in out-of-school programs. Children from high socioeconomic status (SES) families participate more frequently overall than those from low-SES families, with the class differences being most pronounced in non-academic enrichment programs. Furthermore, the patterns of class differences in various types of education programs differ significantly across educational stages. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of education inequality and social mobility in contemporary China by focusing on the crucial, yet overlooked, dimension of program type throughout the early life course.

Authors

• Wangyang Li, Beijing Normal University

• Airan Liu, Peking University