6. Should Education Go to Market？教育是否应该走向市场化？
Once a public sector, now education has become an attraction for investors who are looking for an opportunity to put their money in. Regular schools are looking for alternative sources of funding, ranging from sponsorship to partnerships between schools and firms . Privately–owned training services are also mushrooming across China. Education in China is being commercialized at fast speed.
A number of factors are driving education system towards “commercialization”. First, public spending on education tended to reduce over the years. Second, traditional public education is also coming in for strong criticism. The employers always complain that education is not geared to their needs and the inefficient education system cannot meet the new economic challenges. And third, the development and spread of information and communication technologies make paid distance learning possible by using multimedia and the Internet four tutorials and exams.
With the rapid advance of our country, we have a good reason to believe that education in our country will go to market. But in no ways should education in China be run like other for–profit businesses, for China is only a developing country with a large population, most of which is living in the less developed areas. If school admission is based on money rather than the students’ merits, many less advantaged children will be denied the chance of education. So，education commercialization in China should also involve the commitment of the government, whose involvement will help to guide the business on the right track.