Chinese Education Policy in the Context of ...

1 Asia Pacific Education Review Copyright 2007 by Education Research Institute 2007, Vol. 8, No. 1, 142-157. Chinese Education Policy in the Context of Decentralization and Marketization: Evolution and Implications Kinglun Ngok Sun Yat-sen University China Education Policy has been undergoing great transformation in China since the initiation of economic reforms and the open-door Policy in the late 1970s. These market-oriented reforms and the pursuit of rapid economic growth in a globalized economy have significantly impacted China's Education Policy and development. In line with the development of the market-oriented economy and its increasing integration with the global market, a more pragmatic perception of Education has gradually taken shape in the post-Mao era, resulting in the decentralization and marketization of Education in China. This article aims to examine the development of Chinese Education Policy in the Context of decentralization and marketization since the start of the economic reforms.

2 It will firstly make a brief contrast between the Education policies before and after the economic reforms. Then, the decentralization and marketization in the field of Education since the initiation of the economic reforms will be examined. What follows is an assessment of the impacts that marketization and decentralization had on Education Policy . This paper argues that the weakening role of the state in Education provision and the disparity between rural and urban areas are key issues facing China's Education Policy following the economic reforms and the open-door Policy . It concludes by suggesting that equal and balanced development in Education in China entails bringing the state back into the Education sector. Key words : Education Policy , decentralization, marketization, educational inequality, economic reform 1. Introduction the development of the market-oriented economy and its increasing integration with the global market, a more Education Policy has been undergoing great pragmatic perception of Education has gradually taken shape transformation in China since the initiation of the economic in the post-Mao era, resulting in the decentralization and reform and open-door Policy in the late 1970s.

3 The marketization of Education in China. This article aims to market-oriented reforms and pursuit of rapid economic examine the development of Chinese Education Policy in the growth in a globalized economy have had important impacts Context of decentralization and marketization. It begins with a on China's Education Policy and development. In line with brief review of China's Education policies before and after the economic reforms. Then, the decentralization and marketization Kinglun Ngok, Associate Professor, Research Centre for Public of Education since the economic reforms is examined. Much Administration and School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, attention is placed on the impacts that marketization and Guangzhou, China. decentralization have had on Education Policy . It argues that Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to the weakening role of the state in educational provision and Kinglun Ngok, School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, the disparity between rural and urban areas are key issues Xingang West Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.

4 R. China. facing China's Education Policy following the economic e-mail: 142. Chinese Education Policy in the Context of Decentralization and Marketization: Evolution and Implications reform and open-door Policy . It concludes that the equal and enjoy higher Education free of charge. However, due to the balanced development in Education in China entails the intensive ideological and political struggles during the bringing the state back in the Education sector. Cultural Revolution, the higher educational system was almost totally dismantled in China. Viewing Education as a means of political indoctrination Education Policy Prior to the economic Reform and maintaining political loyalty, the Communist government exerted tight control over Education . In doing so, a highly After the Communist party took power in China in 1949, centralized educational system, which was characterized by Education was under strict government control.

5 The unified planning, administration, syllabi, curricula, textbooks, paramount principle of Education Policy in Mao's China was enrolment, and allocation of school and university seats, was political in nature and effect. Political and ideological developed in Mao's China (Hao, 1998). Under this centralized indoctrination figured prominently in the school curricula. system of Education , the state assumed the responsibility for For the purpose of making all people understand the formulating educational policies, allocating educational party-state's Policy statements and political discourses, the resources, exerting administrative control, recruiting teaching top priorities of Education Policy were developing elementary staff, and deciding on curricula and textbooks. In a nutshell, Education and reducing illiteracy. Primary Education for the state monopolized the provision, financing, and children of working class families, (that is, both urban governance of Education .)

6 On the whole, educational Policy in workers and peasants) was emphasised. As a result, more and Mao's China was characterized remarkably by dualism, more farmers' children could achieve the basic level of elitism, and utilitarianism. Education was treated as a public Education . good rather than a private one. Those who sought educations Education Policy in Mao's China was affected greatly by as a channel for upward mobility were condemned as selfish the rural-urban dual society. Consistent with the urban-biased and bourgeois (Ngok & Kwong, 2003). However, the public Policy in Mao's era, more educational resources were distribution of educational resources was uneven, as priority invested in cities. Schools in cities were further classified into was given to urban Education and technology-oriented higher two categories: key (zhongdian) schools and non-key Education . Such Education Policy , though beneficial to the schools. Policy priority was given to the former.

7 The growth of specialized professionals, such as engineers and provision of rural educational services was dependent on the technicians, led to the uneven development of Education economic situation of the rural collectives, , the people's between rural and urban areas, and between elementary and communes. Such a Policy bias caused far-reaching negative higher Education . The highly centralized educational system effects on the educational development in rural China and its stifled the incentives of educators, educational institutions, legacy remains by and large in the post-Mao era. and local governments to develop Education , and therefore Though the poor economic performance under the slowed down educational and economic development in planned economy greatly limited the resources of Education , China. the Communist government had not ignored the role of higher Education in economic development. Higher Education was promoted as part of the country's development strategy Education Policy since the economic Reform: because the socialist economy needed a trained labour force An Overview committed to socialist undertaking and construction.

8 The role of higher Education was to prepare the younger generation to When the market-oriented economic reform was take up the tasks of national socialist construction. In order to launched in the late 1970s, Chinese Policy -makers formed a cultivate the technicians and professionals compatible with vision for the country's economic development that was the particular stage of economic development in the country, different from the Maoist one. economic modernization the development of higher Education , especially the fields of became the paramount Policy goal of the government, and the science and technology, was given top priority. A contribution of Education to both economic development and state-funded elitist higher Education system with a focus on social progress was fully understood by the Policy -makers. scientific and technological disciplines was developed in The post-Mao Chinese leaders realized that Education is the Mao's China (Hayhoe, 1996).

9 Children from both rural and essential tool for economic modernization. Against this urban families with outstanding academic performance could backdrop, Education serves the economy, a new principle of 143. Kinglun NGOK. Education Policy was established (Ngok, 2006). In the early Education . Limited state capacity to fund Education , a 1980s, Deng Xiaoping, the late paramount leader and the pragmatic perception of Education to serve the economy, and general architect of Chinese economic reform, set out the the perception of Education as a consumption item have fundamental direction of China's Education Policy . He prompted the government to relinquish its once monopolistic proclaimed that Education must change to meet the needs of control of Education . The post-Mao leaders have acknowledged China's modernization, of the world, and of the future. He that over-centralization and stringent regulation in the Maoist emphasized that educational and economic developments period killed the initiatives and enthusiasm of local were inseparable and that Education had to change to meet the governments and educational institutions and resulted in the needs of China's modernizing economy and future inadequate provision of Education .

10 The central government development (Chen, 1999). As Zhu Kaixuan, Minister of alone has been unable to assume the responsibility for Education in the 1990s, elaborated, Education is no longer satisfying people's increased demand for Education . These dissociated from the economy.. Education is closely linked different perceptions of the role of Education have encouraged with the economy, and has become an organic component the central government to relax control and roll back its role and key content of the plans for economic and social in Education , thus justifying retrenchment in government development (Rosen, 1997, p. 259). funding and shifting the load to other sectors. Under this new Policy principle, the post-Mao Thirdly, a conception of stakeholders in the Education government has been increasingly concerned with the role Policy sector comes into being. The central government has Education plays in improving China's economic competitiveness decentralized the control of Education to the provincial and and its place in the regional and global markets.