Causes For The Slump In Private Martial Arts Schools In Henan

With China's reform and opening-up to the outside world, private martial arts schools are emerging like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. There are 12,000-odd schools, clubs, and other related associations at the peak of this trend. While actively adjusting themselves to the development of the market economy, these private schools adopted considerably flexible school-running mechanism, and this provoked a constant stream of changes. Under the circumstances of the market economy, the private schools experienced emergence, development, and standardization, and they made their contribution to the inheriting and developing of the traditional martial arts, to the education of the talented, to the development of the local economy, and to enriching education of primary and secondary schools. However the private schools are going through a serious slump. Some are confronted with shortage of students, and some have closed down.Based on documentary evidences, on-the-spot investigation, interviews and questionnaires, a thorough investigation was conducted on the subject of slump in private martial arts schools in Henan. The analysis was into both the intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors for the slump in private martial arts schools in Henan. A conclusion was made based on the above-mentioned resources:For a start, the development of private schools is under the influence the development of martial arts. Competitive martial arts are the core of private schools teaching, so the gloomy prospect of competitive martial arts development casts a shadow on the future of the private schools.In addition, the operating mechanism of private schools is restrained by social factors. The boom of professional education, strengthening of law, the limitation of occupational future and low employment of the graduates made people gradually realize that martial arts is just for the purpose of body building and health, it is no longer means of survival. As a result, the number of people who seek occupational opportunities in martial arts is diminishing.Besides, a great number of unqualified private schools were founded when the related law and regulations were not completed. These schools only target at making profit, while failing to meet the standards in school teaching facilities, quality, and management. It even happened that some students are forced to enroll. All these factors spoiled the reputation of the private schools, also their images in people.Furthermore, from the investment point of view, private schools are developed in a process of capital accumulation. The investment are made by stages, so it is not likely the schools can take a full shape and make themselves big in a short term. In the term of management mechanism, the majority of these private schools are family-run. This business model is probably direct and effective at the primary stage of the school, but the downside of the investor-is-also-manager model restricts the further-development of the school.Also the related governmental bodies fails to carry out some regulations concerning the private schools, and the management of the private schools is not well practiced. The legal rights of the teaching staff are not well protected. Teachers and coaches in private schools cannot compare with their counterparts in public schools when it comes to residential registration, personal document transfer, professional qualification assessment, and salary, as a consequence, instability and lack of sense of belonging are popular among the teaching staff.Last but not least, due to the low qualification of the enrolled students, it is vital to provide and moral and law education to students.At the same time, the under-qualification, low-educational level and imbalance of age structure of teachers and coaches in private schools threaten the education quality.