ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the national politics of education since the mid-1970s. It reviews developments between the launch of 'Reform' in 1977/8, when higher education was prioritised, and 1985, when the Central Government signalled a renewed focus on basic schooling. The chapter covers the years 1985–93, marked by the political turbulence surrounding the Student Movement of 1989. The period from 1992 to 1993 witnessed the relaunch of marketisation and significant reforms affecting education: first radical fiscal decentralisation, and later a major expansion of higher education. The crushing of the Student Movement would have immediate implications for higher education, but the related political turmoil also crucially influenced the calculations that would shape China's subsequent economic and educational development. The chapter discusses disquiet over burgeoning inequality – one consequence of the 1990s reforms – prompted attempts at redress after 2002. It briefly assesses developments since the accession of President Xi Jinping.
