Correctional education development in China: an exploratory analysis of quantitative data between 2009 and 2016

Abstract

Purpose: We examined the development of correctional education (CE) in China with reference to the National Plan (2010-2020). Design: A quantitative synthesis was conducted based on a 7-year interval retrieved data (2009/2010-2015/2016) from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and National-Bureau of Statistics of China (NBSC) databases using seven indicators (schools, classes, enrolment, enrolled students, dropouts, educational personnel and full-time teachers) yet representing 31 provinces in China. Findings: The results indicated four patterns of CE development: consistent increase in CE services for some indicators (e.g. schools) – possibly implying successful provision methods; a consistent decrease in some others (e.g. classes) – probably implying impacting prevention methods; and consistent increases and decreases for a few of them (e.g. enrolment) – presumably implying effective vs. ineffective treatment methods.