The Research On Compulsory Education Finance Equity Within One Province On The Basis Of School-level Data

Education equity is the essential basis of social equity and compulsory education is the basic education for all. For this reason, having the equal opportunity of receiving compulsory education for all is the bottom line of social justice. However, the inequities in development of compulsory education have not been effectively resolved in our country's economic development and social transformation process. It was presented by National Guidelines for Medium and Long-term Educational Reform and Development that by 2020, our country will basically achieve balanced development within the region to ensure that school-age children or adolescents receive good compulsory education.Compulsory education is held by government. Therefore, educational finance equity is the core of compulsory education equity, especially in the context of free rural compulsory education. Through the in-depth studies on the development of education financial theory at home and abroad and national education, this paper, takes the Zhejiang Province for example, research the mechanisms of education finance equity within the scope of a province. It is mainly to answer two questions: First, how to conduct standardized educational finance equity research in our country? Second, what is the situation, influencing factors and improve direction of compulsory education finance equity?For the first question, we concluded that:(1) Establish the research framework of compulsory finance equity. Berne and Steifel from the United States first proposed the framework of fiscal equity in education, presenting the four following aspects: research object, research content, research principles and statistics. However, the framework was based on the financial characteristics of the United States, so we should carry on corresponding design according to the actual situation when we study the financial problems of education in China. (2) Emphasis on the application of econometrics. From a statistical point of view, the equity is the distribution of elements in a whole situation. It is inseparable from the application of modern econometrics to carry depth study of education finance equity, which is relatively weak in our finished researches.For the second question, based on a comprehensive analysis of the compulsory education in the Financial Institutions and the practical issues, the paper summarizes the impact of the financial fairness of compulsory education in four areas most important aspects. To better understand the mechanism of action of various factors, this paper has taken one by one research methods in Zhejiang Province, drawn respectively the following conclusions:First, Empirical study found that the policies to promote the funding of compulsory education in Zhejiang Province has enhanced the horizontal equity, but not fully realized the vertical equity objectives. This shows that, in the circumstance of the implementation of free education, we should give students additional funding instead of ignoring the concern with vulnerable groups such as students from poor families.Second, (1) The Education expenditure level is positively correlated with the local economic development level and financial level with some exceptions, such as that the education budget funds per primary students is negative correlated with per capita GDP.(2) The raising of the level of regional economy will help the overall development of compulsory education finance equity; it was not occurred that the better level of economic development, the lower of education equity.(3) Different equity indicators have different degrees of relevance with the economic development. The public funding and school conditions are high relatively correlated with the economic development.Third, (1) Through the decomposition to various indicators of urban-rural differences, we found:the differences between rural and urban lower than the internal differences in the contribution of the contribution, which explains that rural areas of policy reform play a certain effect. (2) Notwithstanding the differences in various indicators show a downward trend between urban and rural schools, urban and rural differences in the absolute value of primary and secondary level is relatively high, which to some extent explain the sustainability of differences between urban and rural.Fourth (1) According to the results of multiple regression analysis, education grants for per student from higher levels of government positive significantly impacted of the education balanced allocation of funds, but the negative impact of the balanced disposition of public funds. (2) Through the decomposition of the current differences in educational resources for the county and of the County, we found that differences in teacher salaries due to the differences between the County, which shows that it is alone not enough rely on the county government finance efforts to facilitate county-level, we need to establish provincial fiscal transfer payment system. (3) Through the decomposition of school's education funding by non-financial income and financial income, we found that financial provision effectively promoted balanced allocation of education funds, non-compulsory education budget is not conducive to the financial fairness, so all levels of government should increase fiscal funds.Innovation of this article:(1) In theory, the paper presents a research framework which in accord with the feature of the compulsory education finance system equity. In reference to foreign research, construct the research framework from research object, research content, research principles and statistics will help promote the standardization of Education Finance Equity Research. (2) In the study area, this paper focuses on educational equity within provinces. Existing research concerns on the national education equity, according to China's educational management system and socio-economic characteristics of this stage, compulsory education fiscal equity within province is the most practical significance of the issue. (3)In the research methods, the main data contains 7,000 primary and secondary school-level data in 6 years, is very informative. In the same time, using econometric models, we deeply analyzed the issue of education fiscal equity and drawn many conclusion with important policy implications.