China's quiet education revolution
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The first relates to the feasibility of achieving the ambitious goals set out by the outline without raising the level of investment on education as a proportion of GDP. The goal of 4 percent proposed in the Education Reform and Development Plan Outline of 1993 is retained.
This may be understandable as current educational investment is yet to reach that level. Nevertheless, this is still below the internationally recommended norm of 6 percent of GNP. Quality gaps and funding disparities between regions are severe.
According to the 2010 EFA Global Monitoring Report, per student expenditure on junior middle schools is 18 times higher in Beijing and Shanghai than in the poorest provinces. Can these disparities be addressed without raising the level of funding in education significantly?
Second, in keeping with China's resolve to develop an internationally competitive education system to match its status as the third-largest economy and to meet the rising aspirations and expectations of the people, there is a strong case for extending the duration of free and compulsory education from nine to 12 years in line with industrialized nations.
Third, while China's contribution to the reduction of global illiteracy has been significant, it still has 71 million illiterates in the age group of 15 and above, of which more than two thirds are women. Illiteracy persists among ethnic minorities and rural populations. While the outline alludes to various programs to expand opportunities for continuing education and lifelong learning, there is no firm commitment to address the problem of residual and emerging illiteracy.
Fourth, perhaps the most glaring omission in the outline is the absence of any reference to gender in education. Although China has achieved gender parity in primary education, gender equality remains a particular challenge.
It is necessary to articulate a strategy to improve girls' and women's participation, retention and achievement in education at all levels. Although women's status has improved over the last 60 years, there are serious challenges relating to the skewed sex ratio at birth in favor of men, the prevalence of domestic violence and abuse of women and discrimination at the work place.
From a broader development perspective, it is necessary that education is seen as an instrument for the empowerment of women.
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