earticle

영어

China is a big country with population of over 1.3 billion. Such huge population and development-driven policies have brought on a number of problems, among which, three gaps-regional, economic, cultural gaps - have been recognized as stubborn problems in China. It can be said that the compulsory education in rural communities in China reflects these three gaps intensively, and this education in agricultural districts, especially the compulsory education area, has great possibilities to cause a dilemma to Chinese government. Compared to those of a metropolis, the regional backwardness, income gaps, and disparity in the cultural levels of the socialist state which was established by labors and farmers seem to show the huge gap between reality and ideals. Especially, considering the fact that compulsory education is a right as well as an obligation which is provided to the people by the government, even the principle of equality in education opportunity is now hard to be put into practice. Now that national competitiveness is emphasized in the 21c, it is true that unstinted educational investment in state-of-the-art technology areas and high-valued industries, centering on higher education, has become a global trend. At this point, the effort made by the Chinese government to show interest in and support for agricultural districts where people go through poverty and educational neglect calls to mind what comprehensive, long-term discernment in terms of education is. This study, therefore, discusses the condition and problems of the compulsory education in rural communities in China, and examines necessary politic solutions and the effects so as to look ahead at the compulsory education in the future. In the process, this study has taken advantage of interviews, phone-calls, and correspondence with the officials in charge, as well as literature reviews. It is expected to be a good example that China is going over and conducting an long term educational reform in an effort to overcome the gap between cities and rural districts.

한국어

중국의 공식적인 전체인구 약 13억명 중 8억명 이상이 농촌지역에 살고 있다. 개혁-개방 이래 도시와 농촌간의 빈부격차 및 농촌인구의 도시유입은 날이 갈수록 심각한 사회문제를 낳고 있다. 이러한 사회현상은 농촌지역의 교육환경에 문제를 야기하고 있다. 중국 교육부는 이러한 교육계의 문제를 직시하고 2008년까지 농촌지역의 100%의무교육을 시행하겠다는 공약을 선언한 바 있다. 본 연구에서는 중국 농촌의무교육 현황과 문제점을 살펴보고자 한다. 특히 현 의무교육의 관리체계, 정책, 재정의 실태를 파악하고 도시와 농촌간의 의무교육 격차가 어느 정도 수준이고, 이러한 격차를 초래하고 있는 이유는 무엇인지를 분석한다. 이러한 교육 격차를 격감 또는 해소 시킬 수 있는 방법 등 미래 중국공민의 농촌 의무교육 발전방향을 제시하였다.