Policies to Take Pressure Off Students in Compulsory Education Backfire, Study Shows

Policies meant to relieve academic pressure on students in primary and middle school have actually exacerbated inequality in the Chinese school system, a recent research study found, revealing that various government measures have made it harder for children from low-income families to get into high school.

The study by Peking University’s National School of Development and business school showed that the chance of students from the bottom 10% on the household income scale entering high school decreased by 9.3 percentage points and increased by 5.3 percentage points for students from the top 10%, from 2010 to 2018.