83clear that many children enter school late and do not complete the full cycle of
primary schooling. Even fewer and perhaps as little as one third complete junior
secondary school as they should under current policy. Some children never attend
school.
There have been very real gains. The efforts made in 2007/8 to universalize
access can be seen to have had a substantial impact on enrolment in the lower
grades. Though drop out persists it is much less than it was and many more do
reach grade 6 and 9 than in the past. School infrastructure especially in the central
primary and junior secondary schools is much superior to that which existed in
- Purpose built new buildings have been constructed in anticipation of greatly
increased numbers of boarders. However, this expansion has yet to be realised as
boarding remains at similar levels as a proportion of enrolment as in 1990.
Several observations stand out from the changes that have taken place.
- Disparities between town and rural schools remain striking. Although the larger
primary and secondary schools now resemble those in many other parts of
China in construction and facilities. The majority of schools, and most enrol-
ments, remain in the large number of village schools many of which are small
and of poor quality. As far as can be judged investment has favoured large cen-
tral schools and little has trickled down to the small rural schools, especially
those which are located away from metalled roads and which may involve
crossing rivers and mountains to gain access. A hierarchy of schools contin-
ues to exist with the county town institutions well provided for with the best
facilities and highest proportions of qualified teachers, next are central primary
schools and rural junior secondary schools in townships, then complete schools,
and last incomplete primary schools in villages. The question is whether recent
developments have diminished the differences between the schools and pro-
vided more access more equitably. There must be cause for concern that the
answer to this question may be that access has increased but that the system
remains inequitable. - The disparities between schools have consequences for teachers and pupils.
County town schools with superior advantages in facilities, accommodation and
amenities are attractive to both teachers and students and their parents. Aspirant
families want their children to study in the county town. The annual teachers’
competition offers transfers to the county town school to the best teachers.
Those who have taken first appointments as teachers in rural schools often seek
transfers after three years or so. The risk is of a spiral of deprivation whereby
weak village schools are becoming weaker and finding it difficult to maintain
enrolments and normal teaching activities. - It may be that the policy of incorporating schools and reducing the number of
teaching points is a possible solution but it has a long way to go to reach out to
all the existing schools and small communities. It would also create a relatively
small number of large institutions separated from the communities they serve
with the benefits and disadvantages that accompany boarding large numbers
of young children. There is therefore a need to address the management of the
4.7 Concluding Comments