In the 1980s and 1990s, China was an important part of the worldwide decentralization of education. Mainstream research at the time highlighted the inherent rationality of a ＂low center of gravity＂ and multiple sour...In the 1980s and 1990s, China was an important part of the worldwide decentralization of education. Mainstream research at the time highlighted the inherent rationality of a ＂low center of gravity＂ and multiple sources of educational funding and stressed decentralization as an irreversible trend. Since 2001, however, China has readjusted its system of administration of rural compulsory education. Our empirical analysis suggests that this reform is not an extension and refinement of the previous decentralization reform; rather, it represents a renewed effort to reestablish government responsibility for compulsory education. The 200t reform has led to a rapid increase in government investment in education and a considerable improvement in educational equity, especially in primary education. It therefore provides not just a valuable reference for educational reform around the world, but also an opportunity to reflect upon a series of propositions and assumptions in mainstream research.展开更多
文摘In the 1980s and 1990s, China was an important part of the worldwide decentralization of education. Mainstream research at the time highlighted the inherent rationality of a ＂low center of gravity＂ and multiple sources of educational funding and stressed decentralization as an irreversible trend. Since 2001, however, China has readjusted its system of administration of rural compulsory education. Our empirical analysis suggests that this reform is not an extension and refinement of the previous decentralization reform; rather, it represents a renewed effort to reestablish government responsibility for compulsory education. The 200t reform has led to a rapid increase in government investment in education and a considerable improvement in educational equity, especially in primary education. It therefore provides not just a valuable reference for educational reform around the world, but also an opportunity to reflect upon a series of propositions and assumptions in mainstream research.
