Education in China (Social Lens)

For low-income families anywhere education is the key to success later in life. Especially in China, an entire family's health and stability can depend on a child's ability to get an education, find a high paying job, and support their parents when they retire. Since China's one-child policy was implemented, there has been a growing elder population and a much smaller youth population. The result? One child who must support two parents when they retire as well as pay for their own lives and possible family.

Cost for education is especially high in China. Little government financial aid is given and scholarships are hard to get. Oh, and did I forget to mention? Cost for a year in college amounts to 15 months of a rural parent's average earnings.

It's a high stake game in China: investing in a child's education means forfeiting possible retirement funds at the hope that the child will find a job because of their high quality training.

The article below from the New York Times (possible bias...) describes one rural family's situation in China.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/business/in-china-families-bet-it-all-on-a-child-in-college.html?pagewanted=all

Education is the foundation of society. Therefore, when examining China through a social lens, it is vital to examine the importance placed on education - which is obviously quite a bit. However, this article at least points to the fact that education is valued for parents for mostly economic and possibly some cultural reasons.