The school bus accidents in Gansu and Jiangsu provinces have once again highlighted the social problem created by closures and mergers of rural schools. According to official data, from 1997 to 2009 the number of schools in China dropped to 278,836, that is, by almost half. The authorities should take note of the social problem, for it could mar family ties and result in loss of local identity, says an article in Xi'an Evening News. Excerpts:

Rapid urbanization and falling numbers of students in rural areas have forced the authorities to shut down many rural schools or merge them with those in towns. To some extent, this is good for proper allocation of education resources and narrowing the gap between the quality of education in urban and rural areas.

As the State Council policy says, the "layout of schools providing compulsory education should be adjusted according to local conditions. Necessary schools need to be reserved where traffic is inconvenient." But some local officials care less about the quality of education and are more interested in reducing the number of schools and cutting education resources to make managing schools easier.

The problem has to be handled with care and foresight, because we are already seeing the bitter consequences of haste and poor planning. We may not need to go back to the days when every village had its own primary school. But we should try to ensure that some villages continue to have schools and allot quality education resources to them.

School closures and mergers should not deny rural children of their right to compulsory education or force them to travel on unsafe vehicles and accident-prone roads. Besides, long-distance travel adds to the cost of parents and deprives the children of much-needed leisure time.

(China Daily 12/29/2011 page9)