From the Chinese press

Curb craze for school districts

The housing market in many cities has been declining. But the situation in urban areas that have "good" schools is just the opposite, with housing prices continuing to rise at a frenetic pace. This contradictory development can be arrested only if the authorities reallocate education resources more fairly, says an article on xinhuanet.com. Excerpts:

A 10-square-meter room near a "key" primary school in Beijing can cost up to 300,000 yuan ($48,174) per sq m, which is beyond the imagination of most Chinese people. But despite the high rates, some Beijing residents have to fight off many rivals to get such rooms (or houses) to keep their children in (or get them admitted to) nearby "key" primary and middle schools.