Education Development in China's West:

1. Education Development in China's West:

2. Policies and Projects • Halsey L. Beemer, Jr. • Human Development Sector Unit • East Asia Pacific Region

3. Background • China’s National Compulsory Education Program • Western Development Program and Education Strategy • World Bank and Compulsory Education in Western China

4. China’s National Compulsory Education Programs (NCEP) • universalization of compulsory education to raise productivity and rural incomes • Focused on 592 National Poor Counties • Phase One 1995-2000, Phase Two 2000-2005 • grants, not loans - counterpart necessary

5. NCEP - Some Statistics • 1998 National Data • 1.4 million children did not enroll • 1.3 million dropped out of primary • 1.67 million dropped out of junior secondary • 40-50% stated family financial difficulties as reason

6. NCEP - Phase I - 1995-2000 • Targeted on region two - middle provinces • RMBY 10 billion (USD 1.22 billion) 40:60 National:Provincial • Focus on solving classroom shortages • Some classroom equipment, short term teacher training • Met 15-20% of development need

7. NCEP - Phase II - 2000-05 • Targeted on region three - western and south western provinces • Introduction of student assistance programs, distance education, curriculum reform • RMBY 10 billion - 40:60 National:Provincial • Expected to meet 15-20% of need • Funding gap of RMBY 67 Billion (US$ 8.2 billion)

8. Great Western Development Project • One quarter of China’s population, but more than one half of land • More than half of China’s 80 million poor live in West • Farm income is less than a third of coastal rural China • 2 million children fail to complete five years of school annually

9. Goals for Western Development Program • Three-four years of school in poorest areas by 2000 • Six years by 2005 and nine by 2010 overall • Targeted funds - RMBY 5.0 billion for civil works, teacher training and minority education • Lack of resources greatest issue - RMBY 29 billion shortfall

10. Bank Projects in Western China • Four basic education projects in every province but Tibet • increase access, girls’ education, principal/teacher training • Student assistance programs based on research results • Innovation programs to attack local problems • Minority texts, local language of instruction, distance education

11. Human Development Policies for Western China • 1. Strengthen 9 Year Compulsory Education by increasing funding • 2. Continue Hand-in-Hand, City-to-City, etc. programs • 3. Build Distance Education • 4. Raise quality of principals and teachers • 5. Strengthen higher education development

12. Human Development Policies (Con’d) • 6. Increase special classes for Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet • 7. Absorb higher quality manpower • 8. Increase university research capability • 9. Strengthen/enhance high level education management • 10. Place Western Area Human Development in 10/5 plan

13. Basic Education in Western Areas Project • Joint Chinese - UK Governments and World Bank Project • Strong poverty focus - townships rather than counties • School and community based education pilots • Strong cost reduction/student assistance strategy • Provincial analysis and planning

14. Targeting a Project • National goals vs. educ. outcomes • Geo. coverage vs. project focus • Investment inputs vs. project outcomes • National formulae vs. local demand • MOE data vs. other data • Assumptions vs. research results • Sample data vs. social analysis

15. Summary • Bank supports China’s goals of achieving UBE • Research informs targeting and project design • Bank project design informed NCEP programs • Poverty focus led to student assistance programs • Success in earlier Western area projects encourage repeats