Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.8, 2014

 

Ability and Background: Analysis of Mechanisms Affecting Access to Higher Education

(Abstract)

 

Liu Jingming

 

Educational achievement is generally affected by the combined influence of ability and origins (family background). The relative importance of these two factors provides the basic grounds for assessment of educational equity. Using the coefficient cluster method, we compare the effects of ability and background on access to educational opportunity for ordinary full-time undergraduate education of different levels and find that the two factors exercise a significant joint influence. The higher the level of the university, the greater the ability required and the stronger the influence of student background. The influence of ability is stronger than that of background throughout. It can be seen that although background does influence the distribution of higher education opportunities, the dominant criterion is fundamentally assessment of ability. This embodies the classic “selection on the basis of talent” of a society that attaches importance to performance and ability.