It almost goes without saying that education drives China. Every family has hopes that their one child will not only graduate from high school but from there to college. China has a 9 year compulsory system. Beyond that students must pass a middle school exam to attend high school and likewise a high school exam to matriculate. For China’s rural population, the dream is out of reach more often than not. According to a recent article on CSR Asia, only 17.7% of the country’s university students come from rural areas, down from nearly 30% in the 1980s—clear evidence of China’s wealth chasm. Still, it seems strange that the situation would be getting worse when more resources are available than ever. Several factors do contribute to the problem including:
Education costs: According to a 2006 report from China Education and Research Network, on average, farmers make an average of 3200 RMB (400USD) annually and must pay 800RMB (100 USD) for one year of their child’s education. In early 2006, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised to eliminate rural school fees for the compulsory education of rural children over a two year period; however, until schools receive government funding to cover expenses, they cannot get rid of the tuition. Additional fees such as medical care, housing, and travelling are also considerations for rural families. There are also physical psychological concerns that need to be taken into account. Students often travel long distances to get to school, especially to high schools that are often located in larger towns.
Inadequate teaching: Teachers are poorly paid (some make as little as 200RMB/month), often poorly trained, overworked and may not teach the requisite information for passing national exams. English, in particular, is one of the most debilitating areas for students hoping to pass the 2-4 day (depending on region) college entrance examinations (gao kao 高考) in which English is one of three primary sections tested (with Chinese and mathematics). CSR Asia reports that approximately 10,000 high school students in Chongqing and 26,000 in Hubei have decided not to take the test this year and most of them are from the poorer rural areas.
Gender Inequality: Many rural families have multiple children and educational preference is given to boys in the household. Some families may not even consider the possibility of sending girls to high school because they will likely get married and live with their husband’s family, thereby not contributing to the family income.
Economic success: In many areas, farming revenues have increased as government taxation has decreased resulting in a boon in the agrarian industry. Consequently, children may be pulled out of school to help their parents on the farm. In the short-term, students are liabilities to their family if they do not go to school and long-term liabilities to themselves if they don’t. Economic success may also be to blame for the marginalization of rural people. Curriculums created in urban centers cannot completely meet the needs of students living in vastly different economic systems.
With around 150 million rural students, something must be done to provide higher quality educations. The government is by no means blind to the issues at hand and has begun to forcefully address deficiencies in rural education. In addition to providing 9 years of tuition-free schooling, the government is working to provide students with textbooks, and improve the quality of outdated and dangerous school facilities.
NGOs throughout China are working in conjunction with local governments to increase and better the educational prospects for rural children. Here is an extremely brief list of education focused NGOs to get you started:
- Couleurs de Chine works with the Miao people in the rural villages of Guangxi province and helps children (mostly girls) attend school by raising money for scholarships.
- Rural China Education Fund
- Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation
Learn more about China’s education system: China’s SAT, Household Education Decisions and Implications for Gender Inequality in Education in Rural China, Growth, Poverty and Illiteracy: A Political Economy of Spiraling Rural Crisis in Reform China
--Georgia
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