The enrollment figures are realistic, but it must be remembered that although the normal ages for primary school are seven through 12, the above figures include large numbers of overaged children and youth. The data on the number of graduates are much more problematical. Although the majority of children, particularly in the rural areas, have not been going beyond the lower primary schools, they were counted by the authorities as primary school graduates after completing 3 or 4 years of school. Those who went on to upper primary schools were counted again after completing the remaining primary school years. Other reports give more realistic numbers of graduates that no doubt include only those who completed the full 6 years. In 1956, for example, the New China News Agency reported 13,370,000 graduates from primary schools between 1953 and 1956, as opposed to a total of 42,622,000 derived from the above table. Since there is no reported series of annual figures for the graduates of the six-year elementary schools, and since the last reported data on primary education goes only as far as 1959, an independent method is devised for estimating the number of primary school graduates as of mid-1970. Inevitably it involves a great many assumptions-assumptions that attempt to take into account educational policies, programs and procedures over the past 20 years. Col. 1: As of Jan. 1-approximate midpoint of the school year. Col. 4: The figures for the 1st 5 years are consistent with reported data; after 1957 the trend represents a subjective estimate. Col. 5: Product of cols. 3 and 4. Col. 6: Assuming each child was 12 years old when he graduated. To complete the picture, the following estimate is made of the number of persons who finished primary education prior to 1953: (a) In 1953 there were approximately 285 million persons between the ages of 15 and 49. (b) Assuming that 10 percent (maximum) of this number completed 6 years of education, a figure of 28.5 million is derived. (c) Projecting 28.5 million to 1970 (using a life expectancy of 40 years), we get a figure of 17 million. Thus, as of 1970 there were an estimated 17 million persons 30 years of age or over who completed 6 years of primary education. Based on the figures derived above, the following table can be constructed: AGE-SEX COMPOSITION OF PERSONS WITH COMPLETED PRIMARY EDUCATION (6 YEARS), 1970 Col. 2: Summation of figures into 5-year age groups from previous table and above calculation. Col. 3: Those 15 and above in col. 2 were increased by 15 percent to account for persons who completed 6 years of schooling in subsequent years. Figures were then rounded to add to 160,000,000. Cols. 4 and 5: Assumption is made that there is now a near equality in the male-female distribution of primary school children. In the early 1950's girls constituted only about 13 of the primary school enrollment; 4 prior to 1949. Col. 6: Col. 5 divided by col. 3. The estimate of 160 million persons in the People's Republic of China with completed 6-year primary education may seem low, but it must be remembered that 85 percent of the population continues to live in rural areas where 6 years of schooling has not been available to all the children. B. PERSONS WITH SECONDARY EDUCATION Whereas under primary education only persons who have completed the full 6 years have been counted, anyone with 2 or more years of secondary education is included. The table that follows presents the number of graduates from the various types of secondary schools which were operating in the 1950's. The total number of graduates is then compared with the number of graduates from 6-year primary schools. Source: L.A. Orleans, Professional Manpower and Education in Communist China, Washington, D.C., 1960, pp. 35, 42, 47. As is evident from the last column, the proportion fluctuates between 20 and 32 percent. It is assumed that with the exception of the Cultural Revolution years 25 percent of those completing primary school went on to attend at least 2 years of middle school. This percentage is then applied to the primary school graduates for the years 1958 through 1966. For the years 1967 through 1970 an arbitrary adjustment is made. The summation of the figures reported above is utilized for the first 8 years. Let us consider the figure of 27,464,000 derived above. The theoretical age of the graduates of the full 6 years of secondary schools is 18. This is almost meaningless in terms of any effort to estimate ages of the population with this level of education. Although certainly many young people complete several years of secondary education while in their teens, it is very common for secondary level education to be delayed anywhere from a year to 10 or more years. In order to account for those people who delayed their secondary education, the 27,464,000 is increased by 15 percent to 31,596,000. Having made this adjustment it is not unreasonable to assume that on the average, persons completing at least 2 years of secondary education are 20 years of age. These adjustments and assumptions are represented in the following table: Combining and rounding the secondary school graduates into 5-year age groups and estimating the male-female ratio results in the following table: Ages 20 to 24. 25 to 29 30 to 34. 35 to 39. 40 and over. Total AGE-SEX COMPOSITION OF GRADUATES OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS (2 TO 6 YEARS), 1970 Note: The percentage of females in secondary schools was reported as follows: 1952, 23.5%; 1957, 30.8%; and 1958, 21.3% ("Ten Great Years," Peking 1960). These figures represent a basis for the above estimates. The 40 years and over group is a projection of the reported secondary graduates between 1912 and 1948 ("Chung-kuo Nien-chien" [Chinese Educational Yearbook], Shanghai, 1948). C. PERSONS WITH HIGHER EDUCATION Peking has published more figures on higher education than on any other level, so that relatively speaking these estimates are the most reliable. Anyone with at least 2 years of higher education is included in the figures which follow. As in the case of secondary education, an even larger number of persons embark on higher education after interrupting their schooling, so that a somewhat higher average age-25 to be exact-is assumed for persons completing higher education. Note: Figures for the years 1949 through 1966 are from L. A. Orleans, "Communists China's Education: Policies, Problems, and Prospects," IN: U.S. Joint Economic Committee, "An Economic Profile of Mainland China," Washington, 1967, p. 511. Although for 3 years after 1966 all universities were closed, as a form of "tokenism" it is assumed that a few thousand individuals either managed to do some work or, having had their education interrupted after finishing 2 or more years, may be considered as having completed their studies. It is also possible to make a reasonable argument that the ascending number of graduates between 1967 and 1970 should be reversed. Since the final table combines ages 25 through 29 the argument, although still valid, becomes academic. The following table combines the above figures into 5-year age groups and distributes the totals between males and females. AGE-SEX COMPOSITION OF GRADUATES OF HIGHER EDUCATION (2 OR MORE YEARS), 1970 Note: In the pre-1949 period, females were reported to have constituted 18 percent of the graduates of higher education. tis figure increased to 25 percent in the late 1950's. It is estimated that this trend has continued since then. POPULATION POLICY AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROSPECTS IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA By JOHN S. AIRD After 22 years of Communist rule, demographic prospects in the People's Republic of China (PRC) are still in doubt. The future course of fertility and mortality depends on the direction of official policies and on the evolution of those facets of society that affect the vital rates. There can be no certainty in regard to any of these matters. Recent history is the best basis for surmise about the future, but the record is equivocal. The official attitude toward family limitation has been among the least stable aspects of Peking's domestic policy. The specific questions most critical for China's future demographic development are whether or not a sustained program for contraception, sterilization, abortion, and late marriage will be mounted in the cities and throughout the vast countryside, whether economic and social changes supportive of family limitation will take place, and whether administrative intervention can impose family planning on those who will not adopt it voluntarily. Related to these questions are other, more basic questions as to the degree of ideological dogmatism or pragmatism with which future leaders of the PRC will approach population policy and other issues of domestic adminstration, the effectiveness of the administrative system, the continuity of central leadership, and the course of economic development. None of these questions may be answered with certainty. Domestic policies and programs in the PRC have shown considerable variation in the past 22 years. In fact, there is some support for the thesis that political and economic management has followed a cyclical pattern of oscillation between extremes. At times the official position has been doctrinaire; political principles have taken precedence over economic practicalities, and decision-making has been highly centralized. At other times political ideals have been sacrificed to economic necessity and considerable discretionary latitude has been allowed to local authorities to solve practical problems and achieve concrete objectives. To the extent that policy has been cyclical, it has lacked continuity. The discontinuities have undoubtedly rendered central policies less effective than they might otherwise have been and contributed to the tendency of the cadres at all levels to distrust central initiatives and to protect themselves against the hazard of policy instability by the universal bureaucratic tactics of delay, avoidance of personal commitment, superficial compliance without significant action, and deceptive reporting to higher levels. Whether the failure of the local authorities to implement the more extreme central policies has held back the drive for national economic development or has instead saved the central authorities from the consequences of their own bad judgment may be debatable, but the long term, noncyclical EDITOR'S NOTE.-See heading "General Note" on p. 331 for abbreviations used in the footnotes to this paper. (220) |