Optimization of educational assets stressed

陈小将

China is moving to optimize the allocation of educational resources in response to significant demographic changes, with the student population set to peak and plummet at different educational levels over the coming decade, according to a senior official.

Huai Jinpeng, minister of education, said that while the number of primary school students in the country peaked in 2023, the middle school population is expected to peak next year, the high school population in 2029 and the population of higher education age in 2032.

In response to these demographic changes, the ministry plans to prioritize educational resources for regions experiencing significant student population growth and school placement pressures, Huai said in an interview with China Central Television last month.

The ministry also aims to expand educational facilities in urban areas that have a high concentration of school-age populations, he added.

According to official statistics, 16.16 million children were enrolled in primary schools in China last year, with the total primary student population dropping by approximately 2.6 million from 2023.

The recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), which were adopted in October at the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, called for improving the mechanism for allocating educational resources in line with demographic changes.

The rate of decline in the student population has varied in different provincial-level regions. According to news outlet Sohu.com, provinces such as Henan, Hebei, Jiangxi, Heilongjiang, Hunan and Jilin have each seen their number of primary students drop by more than 100,000 in the past decade.

In Northeast China, the situation has been particularly acute, with 60 percent of primary schools shutting down in the past 10 years due to a lack of students.

In stark contrast, Guangdong province stands out, having added 2.72 million primary students in the past decade. To cope with such growth, it has made available nearly one million compulsory education places in the past three years.