Improving the Quality of Education in Modern Rural Schools in China

Abstract

Background. The quality of education in rural schools remains lower than in urban schools, which puts rural students at a competitive disadvantage and deprives them of the opportunity to develop on an equal footing with their urban peers. Consequently, the problem of how to improve the quality of education in rural schools and ensure equality in general basic education is one of the key issues in the process of reforms to modernise school education.

Objective. The authors aim to analyse the unfavourable factors affecting the quality of learning in rural schools in China, and in summarising the main directions on how to improve the quality of learning.

Methods. The research methods consist in the collection and analysis of scientific literature, comparative analysis and synthesis, as well as in the generalisation of the obtained information. The study analysed works in the field of education and learning in rural schools as well as the report of the Special Posts Programme for Rural Teachers.

Results. The study concluded that the initiatives that can improve the quality of teaching in rural schools are: the introduction of Internet technologies in teaching and in service training; the introduction of methods of peer observation in classes and methods of developing site-specific teaching materials; and the establishment of a system for assessing the quality of teaching and learning and an external monitoring body.

Conclusions. Reforming the quality of learning in modern rural schools in China is closely related to educational technology, teaching staff, teaching materials, and teaching quality assessment methods. Improving the quality of rural education will help to eliminate the disadvantage of rural students and guarantee equality in general basic education. In addition, the authors emphasise the positive significance of rural education in rural reconstruction.