TheAnalysisoftheSocialFactorsoftheInequalityofBasicEducationinChina

罗吉

As the famous Chinese ancient theorist Guan Zi said，“A year's plan，is the tree valley； ten years，plant trees； life plan，is nurturing people.” From ancient times till now，China always highlights education and implements as long-term policy.Especially after the implement of Opening-up and Reform policy，Chinese basic education has achieved great development and nurtured a lot of talents.The Report of CCP（Chinas Communist Party） said we should give priority to the development of education and build strong human resource for our nation.Education is the basis of the rejuvenation of our nation.And the education equality is the basis of social equality.These could prove that the strengthening of the equality in education is a global and strategic task.

Inequality of education is so popular in China.To analyze the inequality from the perspective of educational institution has great theoretical and practical meaning.On one hand，education is a subject which is related to the welfare of the nation.Its theoretical analysis is originated from education practice.Through the analysis of education inequality could form new education theories and guide for its practice.On the other hand，the inequality of basic education deprived peoples right of fair education immediately or indirectly which harm the harmonious situation.It prevents peoples potential from fully developed which have negative impacts to the progress of society.In all，the inequality of basic education in China restrained the development of economy and must be eradicated.

1.The analysis of inequality of basic education between urban and rural area

After more than 30 years opening-up and reform，Chinese economy has striking development and citizens living standard being improved a lot.But in broad rural area especially in the western part，the inequality of basic education still lagged behind urban area.On one hand，the number of student is far beyond urban area but the funds mostly focus on urban area.It caused the extreme lack of education funds in rural area which produced huge gap among different schools.The teaching facilities in rural area are simple and crude.As the urban students indulging in electronic products，some rural students even have never seen them now.When urban teachers enjoying luxury cars，their rural counterparts have to cross mountains and river to teach lessons.When modern teaching buildings mushroom in urban area，still some rural students study in pigpen.On the other hand，the faculty in rural area are so weak as most young teachers chose to work in big cities rather than rural area.It led to the unreason of the structure and age of rural teaching faculty.

On perspective of human capital，based on the Fifth National Census，the average educated years per person in for rural labor force is 8.33 in 2010，2.87 lower than their urban counterparts.The key reason is the lower percentage of higher education.There are 47.62% of rural labor force between 15-64 under education of primary school，and 8.74% for illiteracy accordingly，which are 31% and 6% higher than urban counterparts respectively.Only 10.55% of rural labor force are beyond education of high school，35% lower than urban counterparts.For high education is 2%，15% lower than urban counterparts（ The Fifth National Census，2010）.

Nowadays most of the illiteracies are from village.In 2010 the illiteracy rate beyond 15 are 2.49%，4.20% and 8.74% for city，county and rural area respectively.For the whole 56.99 million illiteracies nationwide，12.82%，9.65% and 77.53% belong to city，county and village population respectively.The huge illiteracy population is the key barrier for the leap-type development，eradication of poverty，increase of labor productivity and improvement of living standard for rural area.

On the perspective of the development of education，the gap between urban and rural area of basic education is decreasing on the whole.But what should be alert is the net enrollment rate of primary school is fluctuated.The rate increased from 99.11% in 2000 to 99.87% in 2008，then down to 99.68% in 2010.Our basic education has covered more than 2429 counties.Those still uncovered 221 counties are all in the western part of China which has a population of 1.03 billion（ estimated 1/13 of the whole population）.（ The Annual Statistics Book of Chinese Education，2010）

On the perspective of teaching facilities，though a lot of funds put to rebuild teaching building，there is still a comparatively high rate of poor facilities reached 0.36 sm per person.In cities，the occupancy of PC is 0.5 per pupil.For their rural counterparts is 0.05.For the total value of fixed capital，cities are quadruple of rural counterparts.（ The Annual Statistics Book of Chinese Education，2010）

Compare to primary school，the gap is decreasing with regard to middle school.For example，the total value of fixed capital in cities is just double than villages.There are two reasons： First is the institution of level-to-level administration which made village overcharge for finance.Second is middle school could enjoy more funding support from superior governments.On the tradition of elitism，local governments incline to concentrate resources on key schools.

Besides，a lot of intern and part-time teacher have been employed in rural schools which could reach 0.45 million.57.2% of teachers in cities are beyond undergraduate，12% higher than villages.（The Analysis of Teaching Faculty Nationwide，2010）

There is also inequality for the enrollment of high school.In cities，the enrollment rate has increased 19% from 55.38% to 74.24%.But in villages only a 10% increase from 18.58% to 28.27%（The Annual Statistics Book of Chinese Education，2010）.In our nations education system，high school is the most popular means to enter university.The gap of high school between cities and villages could worsen higher education.The extension of enrollment in universities favors cities more.On one hand，the gap of human resource between cities and villages reflects more on the lack of higher education.On the other hand，current development of education is enlarging this gap.

Further more，there is no effective quality supervision mechanism to analyze the output of education both in cities and villages.In the Report of the Supervision of the Dropout Rate of Middle School in 60 Chinese Counties，21 of them shared a 3% dropout rate or more.The survey found there is a widespread difficulty in study for rural students which is the key to dropout.This could prove the existence of a lot of problems in middle schools.

2.The social factors of the inequality in basic education between urban and rural area in China

To eradicate this kind of inequality，we have to analyze the reasons.A lot of reasons caused this inequality： regional difference，allocation of education resources，hierarchys difference and the defects of the model of education in China.

（1） Regional difference

China has a gradient development pattern from west to east.Regional difference has become an undeniable social factor which led the severe imbalance among different regions in China.First，the regional economic power affects the input of education.The difference of economic power is often the most direct reason to the difference of education input.Besides，the total income of the citizens in advance regions are always at higher standards.In these regions，those who couldnt cover the expenditure of school naturally will be fewer than developing regions.Further more，Regional geography，natural environment and cultural tradition have close connections to social development.Advanced regions，normally speaking，have sound geography and natural environment，positive cultural tradition and knowledge-oriented outlook of value.On the opposite，developing regions always share undesirable natural conditions and obey-to-the-god cultural tradition.

（2） Social hierarchys difference

Social hierarchy is a complex and integral concept which is the combination of economy，culture，career and politics.From the perspective of education，two kinds of social hierarchies matter： economic hierarchy and cultural hierarchy.

Economic hierarchy

The income gap among different economic hierarchies is obvious and concrete.No matter urban and rural citizens，or different regions，the income gap matters everywhere and has a trend to broaden.The current situation of polarization between the rich and poor is the major social background of inequality in basic education in China.

The increase of tuition fee made the poor hierarchy keep away.This is the main barrier for them to enter schools.Even free of tuition for them couldnt eradicate the social origin of inequality in basic education.Another prejudice is gender equality.Female students share a higher enrollment rate than their male counterparts.We could say the living conditions equals to the opportunities of being educated.The increase of the gap of income aggravated this inequality.

On the problem of sharing equal opportunities of education，on one hand，the lower income hierarchy always have a twisted and imbalanced mental feeling.They felt disappointed to the aim of equality in education and treated it as unprocurable.On the other hand，no matter high-income or low-income hierarchy，the gap of income made both lose the opportunities to be equally educated，which made people lose confidence of the equality.

Cultural hierarchys difference

Cultural hierarchy means the cultural accomplishment and related educational concepts，methods and expectations.These could produce high-strengthening impacts to children of families.Parents education degrees have positive correlations to their children opportunities of being educated and possibilities of success in education.The impact of this kind of cultural hierarchy is strong and steady.Sometimes it could the impact of economical hierarchy.

On the environment of market economy，part of whole people become rich first.Some of them being rich not by diligence.On their outlook of value exist free riding，venality and money-orientation.They could do everything for money.This kind of outlook will harm children sound grow-up.Many kids just let alone their studies.Besides，those newly-born rich hierarchy have lower cultural background which are lack of patience and scientific teaching methods.The indulgence of earning money could affect kids gumption for study.Such kinds of negative concepts or impacts are the key social origin of the inequality in basic education.

（3） The defects of traditional patterns of education in China

Our nations traditional pattern of education is exam-oriented.This is a kind of elite education.Key schools occupy most teaching resources.Meanwhile，some “weak” schools has poor “hematopoietic function” because of lack of funding.The imbalanced bias of teaching resources for elite students will frustrate rest students enthusiasm which not only waste basic teaching resources but also be invalid for the development of human resources.This kind of pattern act the examination as baton and judge students only by scores.It over highlights the selecting function of exams at the same time neglect its judging and directing functions.It is unfair for the elite students to be more nurtured on the fact that rest students losing their opportunities.

3.The methods for eradicating inequality in basic education

Though absolute fairness didnt exist，we should try our best to narrow the gap of basic education between urban and rural areas in China.Society should create sound external conditions to secure the balanced development of basic education.Basic education will be stumbled without the support of society.

（1） Increase governments input and secure the reasonable allocation of basic education resources

The growth of teaching funding lagged behind the growth of financial income in China.We should strengthen the financial support of basic education especially the special and regular transfer payment for the disadvantaged groups.Our nation should obey the rule of fairness to allocate teaching resources in order to secure the growth of teachers income and students expenditure funding.Basic education is the start-up of being educated.Our nation has implemented 9-years compulsory education system.It is every citizens right to enjoy basic education.Governments should strengthen their duties and behaviors on the burden of expenditure funding for compulsory education.

（2） Implement the policies of “ Special Positions” and “National Nurture”

In order to secure the teaching faculties of basic education in rural area，our nation has been implementing “Special Positions” policy： Governments recruit excellent graduates to work in rural area，as the vigor for basic education in rural area.Besides，the “National Nurture for Compulsory Education” policy： Make rural and urban teachers have equal opportunities to receive education and secure teaching faculties in rural basic education.The governments implement free normal students nurture for disadvantaged regions and allocate those normal students to special positions after their graduations.These could import more talents to poor regions in rural area.

（3） Strengthen the input of talents in disadvantaged regions

As employment become more and more difficult in China，many graduates are facing dilemma.At the same time，many poor regions are eager for talents.This kind of structural unemployment has many reasons.On one hand，many graduates prefer work in big cities.On the other hand，the leaders of disadvantaged regions ignore talents or just idle them.Some methods have to be managed to attract more talents to disadvantaged regions： Improve the salary standard，or the institution of targeted-area student.Besides，the governments should bring talents initiative into play.We should optimize teaching conditions to improve education standard.The favorable reward policies could attract more high-level talents to disadvantaged regions.

（4） Adjust the assessment system of basic education for equality

The elitism education caused classification of schools and students and the blind pursuit of high scores and enrollment rate.This teaching pattern has no longer satisfied the requirement of improving nations comprehensive accomplishment.It is high time that we transformed our elite-oriented basic education into accomplishment-oriented evaluation system.With the help of new evaluation mechanism，the teaching concepts and behaviors of teachers will be changed to value students equally and let every students enjoy equal basic education in rural area.

Conclusion

Equality of basic education is the right and condition for the free and fair selection and share of public basic education resources for all social members.It is also the extension and expression of social justice in the field of education.It contribute to the improvement of national accomplishment，the sustainable and harmonious development of social economy，the consciousness of democracy and legalization of citizens，the narrowing of income gap，the mobility of all social hierarchies and the nurture of human resources.It is high time for eradicating inequality of basic education in China.

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