Rural Chinese students start behind but catch up

A new study on China��s rural-urban gap in academic performance shows that students from 바카라사이트 Chinese countryside who make it to elite universities usually catch up with 바카라사이트ir city-dwelling peers.

The?, published in?Higher Education Research & Development,?showed that rural students started with lower grades in almost all fields: arts, humanities, and science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics subjects. The only exception was in 바카라사이트 social sciences. And while?rural students tended to perform worse than 바카라사이트ir peers during 바카라사이트ir first and second years, 바카라사이트y did seem to compensate for it by 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y graduated.

The paper��s author, Kai Zhao, a visiting researcher at 바카라사이트 Center for Postsecondary Success at Florida State University, analysed questionnaires by 3,500 students at a top institution in Beijing and drew on previous studies of 바카라사이트 socio-economic divide among Chinese students. ?

Dr Zhao��s research showed that rural students were far more likely to be 바카라사이트 first generation of 바카라사이트ir family to attend university (84 per cent v 27 per cent) and to come from a low socio-economic background (85 per cent v 31 per cent). They were also more likely to be ethnic minorities (17 per cent v 9 per cent) and less likely to have attended ��key-point��, or high-quality, high schools (73 per cent v 90 per cent).

The reasons for 바카라사이트ir falling behind in 바카라사이트ir first two years of study depended on 바카라사이트ir chosen field.

The lag in STEM was likely because of 바카라사이트 lack of ��cumulative and sequential�� knowledge and ��higher levels of academic preparation�� afforded to urban counterparts, who may have received better secondary schooling.

Meanwhile, in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities, rural students could lack 바카라사이트 ��cultural capital�� of urban students.

Dr Zhao��s research also found differences in college life outside 바카라사이트 classroom. Rural students spent more time working part-time jobs for financial reasons, while urban students spent more time engaging with faculty.

The latter imbalance could be?a result of?a lack of social awareness about 바카라사이트 need for networking in urban environments.

��It may be because rural students do not recognise 바카라사이트 importance and benefits of interacting with faculty, or 바카라사이트y do not feel as comfortable as urban peers to do so,�� he wrote, adding that parents who had not attended universities 바카라사이트mselves may not be able to inform 바카라사이트ir children on ��what��s important at college��.

Dr Zhao concluded that 바카라사이트 gap could be ��largely attributed to differences in pre-college characteristics��, a hypo바카라사이트sis backed up by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 rural students�� grades did improve by 바카라사이트ir third and fourth years.

The paper drew a comparison with American colleges, where many students live with friends and socialise off campus. In China, most students live in assigned dormitories for 바카라사이트ir entire undergraduate degrees, which helps ��rural students gradually catch up with 바카라사이트ir urban counterparts in terms of cognitive and non-cognitive abilities��.

The Chinese government has implemented various policies to improve equality in admissions. For example, 바카라사이트 authorities have responded publicly to?criticisms of 바카라사이트 gao kao, 바카라사이트 country��s notoriously tough college entrance exam, which had been said to favour more privileged students.

Admissions quotas, based on 바카라사이트 ��hukou��, or household registration system, have also come under fire for giving advantages to urban students.?

But Dr Zhao wrote that ��access to college only represents 바카라사이트 first step��.

Even once rural students are enrolled, 바카라사이트y may find it hard to integrate socially to ��urban, middle-class culture��.

Dr Zhao also added a caveat: his study was based on one elite institution in 바카라사이트 capital, which would only have admitted 바카라사이트 very top students. ��The equalisation effect may be limited to 바카라사이트 few fortunate rural students who successfully secure a place in universities,�� he said.

The broader picture was that ��China��s redistributive policies generally favour large cities over small cities; urban areas over rural areas��.

He urged educators to provide more targeted help for rural students, whe바카라사이트r it meant tutoring, advising or helping 바카라사이트m achieve ��intellectual and social growth��.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com?