School Expenses Top Chinese Budget

Home>>Sci-Edu

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, June 28, 2002

School Expenses Top Chinese Budget

A resident in the nation's capital Beijing's Haidian District, an area of academics and high-technology, has just decided not to buy a car but to save the money for his teenage son's education.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

A resident in the nation's capital Beijing's Haidian District, an area of academics and high-technology, has just decided not to buy a car but to save the money for his teenage son's education.

"I want my son to go to a first-class school like all his peers," said Peng Shunli, 38, "and that is very expensive."

For Peng, investing in his son's education will pay off in the future as his son will be more likely to go on to college if he isadmitted to a top high school this fall.

Peng is not the only one in China who thinks it worthwhile to trade a "luxury" for a successful son or daughter.

Most Chinese parents, particularly those in cities, rarely hesitate to spend large amounts to ensure high quality education for their children, who are expected to be college educated at thevery least.

Each year, multitudes of high school graduates have to compete,by sitting tough examinations, for the limited places in colleges and universities.

The burning desire for better education has given rise to the boom of what is known in China as an "exam based economy", as manyparents are willing to spend heavily to have their children attenda first-class school.

Also included in many Chinese parents' budgets are after-schooltraining programs on a variety of subjects and private tutorial sessions, which in some families start in the preschool years.

The Peng's is a typical medium income family in Beijing. The husband makes 1,500 yuan (180 US dollars) a month as a staff member of a Beijing-based enterprise and his wife, a cashier at a local hotel, earns more or less the same amount.

"We have spent every cent of our saving on our child's schooling ever since he was born," said Peng.

In a breakdown of his family expenditure, Peng said he has to allot roughly 1,000 yuan (120 US dollars) a month to cover his son's regular expenses at school, and costs for after-school trainingcourses and private tutorial sessions.

"This is nothing compared with the 'sponsorship fee' that is soon to be levied by the first-class school we have in mind," he said.

Beijing's education authority rules that a student is required to go to the secondary school closest to his home after he finishes primary school.

But sponsorship fees, which vary between 20,000 yuan (2,400 US dollars) and 60,000 yuan (7,200 US dollars), can gain a student access to a better school, according to a tacit agreement between parents and school administrators.

"With regular school expenses, the three-year junior high education costs about 100,000 yuan (12,000 US dollars) -- our entire family income during the three years," said Peng.

And that is by no means the end of the story as the top universities in Beijing cost an average 6,000 yuan (720 US dollars)a year.

A survey by the National Bureau of Statistics has found that Chinese citizens on average spend 10 percent of their savings on education, 3 percent higher than their average housing budget.

China is a huge "education market", said an official from the local education authority.

The education expenditure of Chinese families have been growingby 29 percent annually since 1990, much faster than the average income growth, he said.

"Some families have to tighten their belts to save every cent on their children's schooling," he said.

Education has also helped the manufacturing industry, as whatever is supposed to be helpful to the children's schoolwork --computers, pianos, software and all kinds of stationery -- are sought after by Chinese parents.

In addition the market is booming with vocational and other short-term training programs designed to meet the demands of different groups, the handicapped, senior citizens and even infants and their parents.

The huge market has also attracted higher learning institutionsfrom abroad, who have flooded into China from the United States, Britain, Australia, Germany and many other countries for a slice of the pie.

Statistics show that 25,000 Chinese students are going abroad for further education every year, at the minimum annual expense offrom 40,000 yuan (17,000 US dollars) to 180,000 yuan (22,000 US dollars).

"We have also started to pool money for our son to go abroad when he graduates from college," said Peng.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Englishman Hired as Chief Advisor of Yunnan Provincial Government ( 74 Messages)

Mysterious Pipes Left by "ET" Reported from Qinghai ( 8 Messages)

Premier Zhu Discusses Economic Issues with Experts ( 2 Messages)

Uncle Sam's Policy to Cross-Straits Ties against Its Own Interests ( 46 Messages)

China Strikes Hard on Drug Crimes ( 4 Messages)

China to Boost the Service Sector to Create More Jobs ( 7 Messages)