Keep commercialism out of classrooms
2004-01-15 China Daily
Zhou Ji, minister of education, told a recent media conference that
profit-making is by no means the main goal of China's education, nor had the
government adopted any policies to commercialize education. His words have
aroused widespread concern in the media.
People's Daily: Despite the
minister's claim of non-commercialization of education, some locals, driven by
the desire for economic gain, have run education like they were selling
commodities and services. Such practices have the potential to hinder the sound
development of education.
The key question is whether or not education
can be operated in a completely market-oriented fashion.
On the one hand,
the education industry should be worked in line with market rules, such as
introducing competition for pursuing utmost interests.
On the other hand,
one of the main functions of the education industry is ideological education.
The introduction of market mechanism is only a means to the end and cannot be
overused.
In addition, it is known that the market, as the invisible
hand, has inherent defects. A complete economic system needs both the market and
the government to regulate it. The size of the market's role depends on
characters of the industry.
Education has a bearing on the orientation
of a country's development and the construction of its social framework, so the
supply and demand of education should not simply be decided by the
market.
The government should control market access to the education
industry. Otherwise, great uncertainty might be brought to the social
development.
Although the government controls the education industry,
competition is also needed for better development. Statistics show China uses
1.4 per cent of the world's public educational funds to support 22.9 per cent of
the world's students. The government's financial strength is far from enough.
Thus market competition is needed for not only increasing educational inputs,
but also enhancing consumption of education by supplying versatile products of
education.
Meanwhile, laws and regulations should be worked out for
better supervising competition.
Yanzhao Metropolis Daily: Correction of
misunderstandings on educational industrialization by the Education Minister is
expected to usher in improved policies and alleviate the burdens of poor
students.
As part of human beings"social development, education should
abide by its special rules. However, in China, calls for the industrialization
of education prevailed even before the definition and goal of the phrase have
been made clear.
It is regrettable the issue has long been misunderstood
and misused.
The most mistaken behaviours based on faulty understanding
of educational industrialization are random tuition fees for elementary
education and high charges on college students. They have even caused some
social problems.
After the reform of higher education in 1997, tuition
fees rose by 30-50 per cent, much faster than the growth of
citizens"income.
Cost of education has been excessively stressed, but the
quality of teachers and teaching facilities has not improved much in many
schools.
The number of poor college students is rising
steadily.
Although higher education is not free, it is still a reason for
public interest.
College students should make up some of education cost
by paying tuition fees. However, the standard of fees should be set up
in line with China's conditions, the government's financial supports, economic
development and students"family economic capability. It is expected that tuition
fees for higher education will be more practical and reasonable.
This
adjustment might be of more help to students than providing loans. China
Youth Daily: Currently the calls for educational industrialization can be heard
from some local officials. But according to Zhou Ji, the minister of education,
China has never established a policy of education industrialization.
It
could be discussed in academic research, but it could not be used as a guideline
for developing education. And it is forbidden to use it as a way of making money
for local governments.
Then how did the concept of education
industrialization become so prevailing" It can be attributed to some economists
and local officials.
Economists, from the perspective of academic
research, have expressed their prudent agreement on education industrialization,
saying it might alleviate burdens on educational funds. Although up to now
society has not reached a consensus on this issue, some local officials could
not resist putting theory into practice.
Before the recent news
conference, there was no explicit attitude about industrialization of education
from the Education Ministry. A lack of clear-cut policy on this issue left
loopholes for some local officials and some schools.
Under the excuse of
education industrialization, some locals enhanced the school construction
blindly; some schools charged students willfully. They interpreted education
industrialization as the equivalent of education commercialization. In these
cases, it is a bit late for the Education Ministry to clarify its
policy.
Take world-famous institutions for example. When they push
industrialization of education forwards, they never forget their basic function
of spreading knowledge.
And pursuing the public interest is the
education industry's basic characte |