Key to fair education is resource allocation

A boy tries an iPad at an outlet of Apple Inc in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province. [Photo/China Daily]

The insanely high housing high prices in so-called school districts reflect the unfair allocation of educational resources in China's big cities. Parents' desire to get the best education for their children forces them to buy a house near "good" schools so that they can get them admitted there.

Housing prices in such school districts will return to normal only when the authorities strike a balance in the allocation of education resources. But that will not happen overnight.

The Ministry of Education recently announced that it would promote a multi-school-admission policy, meaning people living in one area of a city can get their children admitted to a school in another area. The existing rule says children living in a certain area can get admission to schools only in their neighborhood, which is the reason behind the rising housing prices in residential areas with "good" schools.

But the multi-school-admission policy is only a transitional measure, which, without long-term planning and effective enforcement, is not likely to succeed in the long term.

When education resources are not fairly and effectively allocated, it is natural for parents who can afford to pay high property prices to look for a house in "good" school districts. It's another matter that their behavior is affecting the school admission process.

Therefore, the government has to take measures to streamline the school admission process to ensure every child benefits from the compulsory schooling policy. For example, the government should correct the existing imbalance in the distribution of education resources, which will help restore order to the school admission process.

In the places where educational resources are relatively balanced, students can go to the nearest school. The multi-school-admission policy could be introduced, for one to two years, in places where there is an imbalance in the allocation of education resources. And the policy could be withdrawn after balance is restored.

Besides, monitoring and supervision should be strict in areas where the multi-school-admission policy is introduced, and decisions should be made in an open and transparent manner with the involvement of all parties concerned.

The education authorities should also make proper arrangements to help students who cannot get admitted to "good" schools by getting them enrolled in other schools after listening to their parents' grievances. This way, the authorities can show that they are taking effective measures to narrow the gap between schools and create equal opportunities for all. The key to the success of the multi-school-admission policy will be devising innovative ways to promote equality in education.

For people living areas where the multi-school-admission policy is introduced, they should view the opportunity offered their children rationally and not make a beeline to get them admitted to as many institutions as possible, because that will create a new type of problem. They must remember that a school is not good just because of its name. The most important thing is whether children will get proper attention in such a school and whether they can adjust to its environment.

The more suitable a child is for a school, the more his or her potential can be fulfilled in the future. And once education resources are allocated fairly, a single- or multiple-admission policy will not matter much.

The author is a senior researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences.