633.7 Concluding Comments
In general, access to nine year compulsory education has clearly improved con-
siderably in Huaziping and Yanhewan. Almost all the children now enter pri-
mary school and the great majority reach the end of the primary school and have
a good chance of enrolling in junior secondary. This was not the case in 1990
when enrolments in grade 6 were only 25 % of those in grade 1 and drop out was
a major issue. The participation of girls is now broadly similar to that of boys,
achievement appears to have improved, and the physical condition of the larger
schools has been greatly improved. Almost all teachers are qualified and teach-
ing subjects in which they are trained, and increasing numbers now have bach-
elor degrees. Though there is a turnover of teachers, this is also accompanied by
an increase in the qualification level of those in post which should improve qual-
ity. Minban teachers have been greatly reduced in number though some remain.
A major change has been that the county has taken over most of the responsibil-
ity for financing compulsory education. The panopoly of fundraising devices used
at local level in 1990 has been replaced by a much simpler administrative system
based on formula funding. Teachers are now also paid into their bank accounts
avoiding the delays that were previously common. The “two exemptions and one
subsidy” has reduced the burden on poor households and is likely to have contrib-
uted to reduced rates of drop out.
These developments have taken place against a background of rapid economic
development, accelerated by revenues from the exploitation of oil and natural gas,
and the commercialization of agriculture. Enrolments grew between 1990 and the
early 2000s but since then have declined as demographic changes have reduced
the number of school age children by as much as 50 % in ten years. This has
arisen as a result of a combination of declining birth rate and outward migration
for work in more prosperous parts of China.
There are a number of issues that are raised by the case study of Ansai which
can focus future policy dialogue and practice to support the implementation of
nine year compulsory education.
First, demographic changes are likely to continue and need to be anticipated.
The macro economic and social dimensions of these changes are outside the scope
of this paper, but a view has to be taken as to whether the number of school age
children will halve again in the next ten years, or whether changes will occur that
will lead to a different outcome. Planning provision depends fundamentally on
how many children need access to education. Falling enrolments at the high rates
that have been experienced create institutional and pedagogic challenges that need
to be addressed if inefficiency is not to grow and educational quality to suffer.
Second, the rationalization of small schools has taken place on a large scale.
The number of schools has more than halved in Ansai as a whole and has fallen
even more sharply in Huaziping and Yanhewan. This has resulted in a num-
ber of stress points. Merging small schools with larger schools has necessitated
more boarding than would otherwise be the case. This has costs and educational