Widening Gap of Educational Opportunity? A Study of the Changing Patterns of Educational Attainment in China

Abstract This chapter conveys a dynamic account of educational inequality in China during the last decade. It finds that younger students all over China are benefiting from the recent expansion of education. One of the most notable achievements is the virtual elimination of gender bias against girls in educational attainment. However, regional inequality of educational attainment is found to be persistent and this inequality becomes more pronounced as students progress to higher grades. Inter-cohort analysis reveals that the inter-provincial inequality in upper grades is increasing for younger cohort of students, meaning that educational inequality in China is rising. The causes of such rising inequality are quite complex and cannot simply be explained by the urban-bias hypothesis that is often suggested as the main source of income inequality.