Education not level playing for all children

A first-grader hugs her mother on her first day at primary school in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Tuesday. For Chinese parents, enrolling their children in a good public primary school is becoming increasingly difficult. HE HAIYANG/CHINA DAILY

A 6-year-old girl sued the Pudong Education Bureau in Shanghai for violating her rights by not allocating her to the "nearest" primary school within her school district. The girl asked for one-yuan (16 cents) in compensation for the stress caused by panicking about where she was to be assigned. The verdict of the court was not guilt on the educational authority part. Comments:

The best quality schools are a scarce resource in a district, so that inevitably causes the problem of which students should attend them, and there are many factors to consider. This involves the interests of many parties and it is impossible to satisfy everyone. Even if the student lives near the school, there is no cause for complaint.

Beijing Youth Daily Nov 9

The ambiguity and uncertainty in China's Compulsory Education Law regarding the "nearest school" often causes misunderstandings. The "nearest" school may not be nearest in terms of distance, since the demographic situation, district boundaries and even streets may all influence what is deemed the nearest school.

China Youth Daily Nov 8

It is unfair when the competition for quality education is caused by the scarcity of resources. The competition for high-quality educational resources, especially what are considered the best educational resources, has caused the implicit unfairness. It may seem that all children have an equal chance to receive good education, but in fact the level and quality of the education they receive is different.

People's Daily, Nov 8