A Policy Study On Rural Small Schools Development

As urbanization goes on, population mobility from rural to urban is changing the developing patterns of economy, society, culture as well as education. Rural compulsory schools layout (RCSL) needs to be readjusted to reply to the complex impact of surplus rural labors, increasing migrant workers’ children and declining birth rates. Directed by economic rationalism, RCSL readjustment was carried out in various regions with distinctive features of being concentrated, large-scaled and urbanized. As a result, plenty of rural small schools (RSS) are closed. Does urbanization with Chinese characteristics require turning countryside into big city? Does educational urbanization and modernization need closing all the RSS or laying schools only in cities and towns? How should we understand the marginalized survival condition of RSS caused by forces from policies, system, culture and marketing? Where lies the road for RSS to revive and develop at the great changing time of China? These questions need to be answered by the designs of China’s economic and social developments and the integration of urban and rural education.This study adopts mixed-method paradigm combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Data are analyzed of the Research on Compulsory School Layout problems collected from11provinces of China, showing the overall characteristics of RSS. On that basis, several schools were chosen to conduct in-depth field research. The faculties, expenditures, public relationship and daily operation of RSS are presented to illustrate its real living condition and the plight of becoming marginalized. The difficulties stem from RSS’s weak self-development, and are directly related to waning support from environment. To realize real development of RSS, several measurements should be taken. Correct strategic positioning RSS is the first step, and stronger support is also necessary in way of providing qualified teachers and enough money, community supporting and innovation in management system, as well as organizational reforming.This paper includes Introduction, the main text and Conclusion. Introduction part introduces the value and object of the study on RSS. By reviewing the relative literatures, it forms the theoretical foundation of this paper, and then it defines some core concepts. Consequently, it tells about the data sources and the research design:the mixed-method research paradigm is explained, and the detailed methods and study framework is demonstrated.Chapter One is about the quantitative analysis of RSS characteristics. Statistical analysis is carried on resource difference between small and non-small schools as well as within small schools, and on the correlation between school size and teacher structure, expenditures. Multiple linear regression analysis method is introduced on teacher and expenditure.Chapter Two to Chapter Five emphasize the analysis on field materials. Chapter Two shows the characteristics of RSS teachers and their teaching life and professional development, and it also gives teachers rights to tell what they have seen and felt about the changing school and students. Chapter Three analyzes the income and spending of RSS, and the incremental costs are estimated for a basically-qualified school equipment; Chapter Four describes the interaction between RSS and educational system and RSS and its community, to show the living context of RSS; Chapter Five tells us how schools operate daily influenced by given resources as teachers, funds, public relationships, and the judgment on RSS’s development is founded.In Chapter Six, the inner influence on RSS’s development is firstly explored which comes from teachers, composition and peculiarity; and then forces and constraints from outside are focused on; the last part of this chapter highlights the influence from the establishing and implementing procedures of educational policies, such as RCSL Readjustment policy and resource-allocating policy, and it is pointed out that the plight of marginalization of RSS are mainly caused by the narrow target and the distorted execution of these policies.Chapter Seven is focused on how to promote the development of RSS, the advice given at three respects: first, RSS should be correctly strategically positioned in RCSL and be treated differently accordingly; second, the desire-oriented resource allocating strategy should be taken, that is, to provide local qualified teachers and tilt protection in expenditure allocation, as well as practical management; at last, organization reforming and self-developing of RSS are encouraged.Conclusion Part emphasizes that the equity orientation should be taken as maximum value of this study, and points out the possible ways for further studies.