The nation's aging future in a nutshell

Rudong county was a pioneer in the implementation of the national family planning policy, and as such it offers a microcosm of one of the biggest problems facing the country in the years to come. Xin Dingding and Ding Congrong report from Nantong, Jiangsu province.

From nine to seven, then from seven to four: The reduction in the number of senior high schools in Rudong county, Jiangsu province, in the past four years has been a cruel but irreversible trend in the eyes of Chen Jian, deputy head of the county's education bureau.

"There are not enough students. Keeping all these schools open would have wasted a lot of resources," he said.