Why China Is Cracking Down on Elite Education
China is intensifying its crackdown on elite education, motivated by concerns over corruption and a desire for greater equality. The government is eliminating elite programs and implementing randomized class assignments to combat irregular recruitment practices. This initiative aims to ensure fairness in education, particularly in state-run schools that serve as the primary pathway for the country's most privileged students.
- ▪China is banning elite programs for gifted students in schools and universities.
- ▪The crackdown is part of a broader initiative to promote fairness and transparency in education.
- ▪Corruption in admissions has been a significant issue, with bribery common for entry into elite institutions.
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China Brief A weekly digest of the stories you should be following in China, plus exclusive analysis. Delivered Tuesday. Why China Is Cracking Down on Elite Education The campaign is motivated by corruption concerns and an old-fashioned egalitarianism. Palmer-James-foreign-policy-columnist20 James Palmer By James Palmer, a deputy editor at Foreign Policy. High school students in matching maroon and gray jackets sit in a classroom and study at desks piled high with stacks of books, notebooks, and papers at their sides. High school students prepare for China’s National College Entrance Examination, known as “gaokao,” in Fuyang, located in eastern China’s Anhui province, on May 27, 2025.
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