China has adopted an unbalanced policy for economic development to improve its domestic economy and international competitiveness for more than three decades. During this process, rural education has undergone a series of reforms. With reference to compulsory education, this article argues that rural education in China is a pragmatic instrument…

During 1999-2001, the combined effects of far fewer rural inmigrants and many more outmigrants led to the first significant nonmetro population loss since the 1980s. The rural West showed the greatest percentage loss through migration, and only the rural Midwest showed a gain during the period. Nonmetro college graduates showed a large decline,…