Two Decades of Basic Education in Rural China

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7.1 Introduction

This chapter is concerned with groups of children whose rights to basic educa-
tion are often compromised by location, household circumstances, social group,
or health status. Section 7.2 discusses migrant children who have grown in num-
bers since the 1990s to make up the majority of the school age population in some
peri urban areas like Tongzhou. Section 7.3 identifies the complementary problem
of left behind children whose parents have migrated. Both in Ansai and Zhaojue
economic growth has attracted parents to migrate for work and leave behind their
children in the care of others. Section 7.4 explores changing patterns of gendered
exclusion as social values and opportunities change. Section 7.5 provides some
insight into the status of children who are HIV/AIDS orphans. Section 7.6 takes up
the issues that relate to improving access and participation by national minorities.
China’s commitment to including all children in basic education has a long
history and is most recently reaffirmed in The National Medium and Long-term
Education Reform and Development Plan Outline (2010–2020). This argues that
educational equity is the key foundation of social justice, and that equal oppor-
tunity has to accompany the guarantee of the legal right to access to education.
China’s rapid development means that it is essential to promote balanced develop-
ment of basic education with special support to the most needful populations of
children with the intention of narrowing education gaps in access and attainment
through preferential policies for rural, remote, underdeveloped and minority areas
(The State Council 2010 ).
Since the 1986 Education Reforms China has promoted universal access to edu-
cation up to grade 9 with different targets for different regions. Rapid development
has generated inequalities that now need to be addressed to ensure that all chil-
dren experience quality education. Song and Kong ( 2009 ) identify three dimen-
sions of balanced development. First is the regional balance between Provinces at

Chapter 7

Marginalised Children and Universal Basic

Education

© Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2016
L. Wang and K. Lewin, Two Decades of Basic Education in Rural China,
New Frontiers of Educational Research, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-2120-6_7