Investigating Equity-Minded Migrant Education Policies in Shanghai From Migrant Parents’ Perspectives

Purpose: This article aims to explore how suburban public schools in Shanghai of China have implemented the top-down equity-minded migrant policies of free compulsory education and equal access to public education. Design/Approach/Methods: This qualitative study focuses on public schools in the suburb of Shanghai, one of the top migrant-receiving metropolitan cities in China. Using personal network, referral, snowballing, and “guerrilla interviewing,” the researcher recruited 13 migrant parents that represent 11 cities of 9 provinces and collected interview data between early January and late June of 2015. Data sources include 10 face-to-face interviews, 3 telephone interviews, 6 follow-up interviews, and supplementary policy documents. Findings: It finds that local public schools have fully implemented free compulsory education, but have not supported equal access, revealing an inconsistent and arbitrary policy enactment pattern. Although all the interviewees have worked and lived in Shanghai for an average of 10 years, only those that afford a real property, receive exceptions, or have personal connections can have children enrolled in public schools. Further, parents’ perceptions of the policy implementation vary across cases with most of them not demonstrating an awareness of education equality. Originality/Value: This study synthesizes stories shared by migrant parents and reports an interesting policy implementation pattern. It contributes to the field of migrant education study and confirms that top-down equity-minded reform is likely to encounter challenges.