Difficulties in 12-year Rural Compulsory Education
Name: Huang Ying Student ID: S08230
Research paper supervisor:Dr. Sekou Conde
Management Department Minzu University of China
2008-2009 Academic Year
Abstract: This paper presents a review concerning the compulsory education in China. It analyzes the implementation of 9-year compulsory education development at first, then explains the difficulties in 12-year compulsory education, especially in rural compulsory education and put forward possible strategies for the perfection of rural compulsory education at last of each part. Pertinent articles published in the major journals of education and colleges and books within China from 1986 to 2009 are selected as the research subjects. Secondly, in regard to the writing method, there are examples, comparisons, classifications, and hypothesis and so on.
Keywords: 9-year compulsory education, 12-year compulsory education, difficulties,
countermeasures
Ⅰ. Introduction
There is a piece of news about prolonging the length of compulsory education. A delegate to the National People’s Congress (NPC) has submitted to the annual session of the Chinese parliament a motion appealing for a program to prolong the current 9-year compulsory education to a period of 12 years. [1] He means that China needs to extend the year of compulsory education, because it is necessary and we are able to extend the year. However, there are some opposite voices. Zhou Ji, Minister of Education, told China Daily that the central government was “not considering” prolonging the education of compulsory education for the time being, because 12-compulsary education does not fit the current situation of china. [2] To this question, my point of view is that china has expected the 12-year compulsory education for a long time, but it is not the right time to extending the year. There are many problems need to be overcame. 9-year compulsory education project still needs further improvement. Popularization of a 12-year compulsory education scheme should be step by step.
Ⅱ. 9-year compulsory education policy
1. The importance of education
Education is the base of modern civilization, playing a leading and global role in the modernization construction, which precedes other issues in the development strategy. In 2004 (before the implementation of the law on compulsory education), the counties, mostly located in mountainous and remote areas, had a large population of minority ethnic groups who receive education for an average of only 6.7 years, said Tian Zuyin, a senior official in charge of finance with the Ministry of Education. [3] Parents can not afford to children’s education fees, and children go to work when they are teenaged, which is a universal phenomenon. Especially in rural china, the rate of school entrance is very low. Therefore, free compulsory education is badly needed now.
2. Law of the PRC on Compulsory Education
China promulgated the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Compulsory Education” in 1986, which came into effect on the July 1. The Compulsory Education Law stipulates that each child have nine years of formal education. During nine years, our country has the obligation to provide educational resources and parents must guarantee their children to get education. Otherwise, they will be punished by the law. [4] Compulsory education is the starting point of the whole education industry; it is mandatory in many countries. Regarded as public product across domestic and abroad, compulsory education is the public affair, which is guaranteed by the government. The government takes the responsibility of ensuring justice of compulsory education.
3. Great achievements of 9-year compulsory education program
After the implementation of the law, by the end of 1998, 98.9% of school-age children were enrolled in primary schools and 94.3% of the primary school students went on to junior secondary (including regular junior secondary and secondary vocational). The enrolment of junior secondary schools has reached 87.3%. About 90% of the regions in the country have made compulsory education universal and 73% of the regions have made junior secondary compulsory education universal. Large cities and coastal economically developed areas have already begun to make senior secondary education universal. [5] Compulsory education, which is on the bottom of Pyramid of education, is a base for a person’s growth, a base for the whole education, a base for improving national quality and training qualified persons. For more than fifty years, compulsory education of the P.R.C. has developed rather quickly and gained great achievements. This progress is attributed to the guarantee of this law, but more to the support of the great masses and the promotion of governments of all levels.
4. Improvements need to be made in 9-year compulsory education
However, taken a close look at the social process, there are some serious problems that restrict the development of education in our country. China’s compulsory education has made great progress since its implementation of the Law on Compulsory Education in 1986. This progress is attributed to the guarantee of this law, but more to the support of the great masses and the promotion of governments of all levels. But taken a close look at the social process, the great social changes happening in recent years in China have been transforming and reorganizing social relationships, with no exception of the traditional educational system. [6] Striking achievements have been taken in the compulsory education in China. But there are some inadequate aspects in it, such as the vague understanding of compulsory education, conforming doubts of the realization of “the popularizing 9 years education”, non-harmonious developing situation, some defects of the legal system of the compulsory education, the channel and mechanism of the investment, the education of the kids of those to a weak social situation, etc. [7] Before the implementation of the program, we have to solve those problems encountered in 9-year compulsory education program, and then extend the free education to senior high school.
Ⅲ. Difficulties in 12-year rural compulsory education
1. Financial problems
Just like Zhou Ji, the minister of education, said the situation of china now is not ready for 12-year compulsory education. Now funds shortage of education is the main problem that restricts development of our national education. [8] The compulsory education has gained enormous development in the long history. However, a series of problems emerges when it developed, especially, the debt from the nine-year compulsory education, the debt is of great amount and large scale, and the problem is very serious. From his words, we know that the implementation of 9-year compulsory education is still in difficulties. How can we afford the further 3 years more? Comparing China and its regions’ length of compulsory education with those of other countries and regions in an economic way, the main finding is that China doesn’t provide enough fiscal funds for its 9-year compulsory education, and 12-year compulsory education just seems to be an unrealistic target. [9] The government’s central task is to increase fiscal funds for compulsory education, in order to promote its development. What’s more, totally free compulsory education also should be put in practice step by step.
If fund deficiency is an obvious wound, the problems in financial transfer payment would be a potential wound to the compulsory education. To achieve equalization of basic education services, intergovernmental fiscal transfer payment is the most important tool. Financial transfer payment system is the role of the central authorities and the provincial government, from top to bottom can be transferred to lower levels of government for more financial support to guarantee the country a balanced development of basic education. [10]What’s more, the transfer payment can increase central and provincial governments on the basis of the supply of educational services, but also to strengthen the central government for the national basic education services macro regulation and control ability, and be used to eliminate or reduce the imbalance between regions or inequality. Despite the continuous transformation in the existing management system of local compulsory education in China, there still exist a lot of problems in its operation. In order to meet various kinds of opportunities and challenges of the new century, the management system of compulsory education still needs reforming and improving.
In the long run, development of country economy is a primary task. only when GDP increase, can the government have extra fund to support education, but for the time being, Because the money invested into the compulsory education by the central government is very little and the revenue of local governments varies a lot, the fund for rural compulsory education can not meet the demands in the underdeveloped regions in the west and middle of China. To solve the problem, we could follow the following measures. First, strengthen the governments’ investment. Second, [...]
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