Bringing the state back in : restoring the role of the state in Chinese higher education
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
European Journal of Education
Publication Date
6-1-2012
Volume
47
Issue
2
First Page
228
Last Page
241
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Abstract
A severe shortage of educated labour during the Cultural Revolution (1966 to1976) led leaders in post-Mao China to focus on economic growth, adoptingpractices and ideas used in market economies to transform China’s commandeconomy, which had proved to be inefficient and financially unsatisfactory. TheChinese government, influenced by neo-liberal ideas, introduced measures thatemphasised privatisation and marketisation in the implementation of social policyand social services. Education, and in particular higher education, is one of China’smajor fields of social policy and it has not been immune from the growinginfluence of privatisation and marketisation, particularly as the State has reducedits role in providing and financing education. Before privatisation and marketisa-tion, all Chinese citizens enjoyed free higher education, whereas now they must paytuition and other related fees. As a result, they complain about the rising cost ofeducation, criticising the government for shifting this heavy financial burden toparents and students. The policy context briefly outlined above will serve as abackdrop against which this article will examine the social and political conse-quences of the privatisation and marketisation of education. This article alsodiscusses the major policies and strategies adopted by the Chinese government toredefine its role in education in order to address the negative consequences ofprivatisation and marketisation. Finally, it also critically examines the key impli-cations of major reforms to higher education in mainland China throughout thereform process.
DOI
10.1111/j.1465-3435.2012.01520.x
Print ISSN
01418211
Publisher Statement
Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Mok, K. H. (2012). Bringing the state back in: Restoring the role of the state in Chinese higher education. European Journal of Education, 47(2), 228-241. doi: 10.1111/j.1465-3435.2012.01520.x