This article investigates the status of educational equality in China in the context of the
reform of major Chinese economic, political, and social institutions at the turn of the
twenty-?rst century. In the ?rst part of this article, the authors address the importance of
the theoretical issue of equality in education and explore the relationship between theories of human capital, modernization, and political culture. They begin with a general introduction
of the theme, and then explore the linkages between basic education (literacy and
numeracy), the increasing productivity of the labor force, and the essential guarantee of
basic human rights—necessary for survival. They then discuss how advanced education
provides people with the necessary adaptability and creativity to perform in a world
characterized by rapidly developing technology and a complex management system. The
second part of the article uses statistical data to describe current educational conditions and the extent of the variance in educational attainment for different groups. They conduct
the analysis from two perspectives: (1) comparing the effects of gender, ethnicity (minorities),
and disability status on educational attainment; and (2) by comparing the effects of
gender, minority status, and disability status on educational attainment in four types of
regions, as de? ned by economic and social development. In the ? nal part of the paper, the authors try to ? nd the particular government policies that are responsible for exiting
discrepancies in educational achievement. The article concludes with a number of policy
recommendations.