Schooling against the Countryside

This book investigates educational migration (peidu) in rural China, where families relocate to access urban schooling for their children. Using a communal lens and drawing on questionnaire data, in-depth interviews, and field observations from a county in Central China, it examines the causes and impacts of this phenomenon.

The study highlights how urban-biased development, rural decline, and an urban-oriented education system drive families to pursue intergenerational mobility through educational migration. Yet, this pursuit of individual advancement exacerbates rural–urban inequalities and accelerates rural decline. The book argues that while educational migration embodies aspirations for social mobility, it undermines rural sustainability and deepens systemic disparities. It calls for a shift from China's mobility-driven education model, which marginalises rural areas, to one prioritising the public good and rural revitalisation.

Essential for scholars and students in education, sociology, rural studies, migration studies, and Chinese studies, this book also offers critical insights for policymakers and practitioners addressing educational equity, rural development, and social mobility in contemporary China.