Can Distance Education Increase Educational Equality? Evidence from the Expansion of Chinese Higher Education

Overview & Synopsis

Since China decided to expand its higher education, we have seen an increasing number of discussions of the relationship between educational expansion and equality. However, few studies have examined whether the expansion of distance higher education will improve educational equality among different regions. In this study, we analyzed the changes in the enrolment of Chinese distance higher education in different areas. We found that in underdeveloped areas, inequality in distance higher education is still increasing. However, according to the Chinese government, distance higher education should be an important device to improve equality, especially in outlying poverty-stricken areas. Since educational finance has greatly increased in recent years in China, the education administrative systems should provide more financial support for distance education learners so that distance education can play the role of improving equality in underdeveloped regions.