Beijing as a Case Study of Educational Inequalities and Class-Induced Middle-Classization of School Districts

Abstract

The negative impacts of class inequality on educational equity in terms of gender, regional development, economic capital and cultural resources have gradually become a major social problem in China, but so far, relatively little academic attention has been paid to regional educational inequality. Therefore, this paper takes Beijing as a case city and adopts a questionnaire survey form that can reflect the real education gap in the class inequality situation to carry out a study on the generation mechanism and risk hazards of regional education inequality in Beijing. Comprehensive data from government reports, real estate markets, questionnaires, and other sources show that economic development, cultural background, and geographic location are the main causes of regional educational inequality in Beijing. Regional educational inequality further contributes to the high premium price of school district housing and middle-classisation in Beijing, and even class group solidification and human rights inequality issues. By exploring the two-way relationship between class inequality and educational inequality, this study attempts to fundamentally propose innovative measures to promote the equalisation of regional educational resources, which will contribute to the equitable and sustainable development of the city in the future.