in china schools, a culture of bribery spreads - nytimes

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Helm (November 18, 2012)

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Sim Chi Yin for The New York Times

In Beijing, some parents are forced topay thousands of dollars to schooladministrators simply to enroll theirchildren in elementary school.

A version of this article appeared in print on November 22, 2012, on page A8 of the New York edition with the headline: AChinese Education, for a Price.

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Of course I knew it was illegal, she said. But if youdont pay, your child will go nowhere.

Bribery has become so rife that Xi Jinping devoted hisfirst speech after being named the Communist Partysnew leader this month to warning the Politburo thatcorruption could lead to the collapse of the party and thestate if left unchecked. Indeed, ordinary Chinese have become inured to a certain level of official malfeasance in business and politics.

But the lack of integrity among educators and schooladministrators is especially dispiriting, said Li Mao, aneducational consultant in Beijing. Its much moreupsetting when it happens with teachers because ourexpectations of them are so much higher, he said.

Affluent parents in the United States and around the world commonly seek to provide their children every advantage, of course, including paying for tutors and testpreparation courses, and sometimes turning to private

schools willing to accept wealthy students despite poor grades.

But critics say China s state-run education system promoted as the hallmark of Communist meritocracy is being overrun by bribery and cronyism. Such corruptionhas broadened the gulf between the haves and have-nots as Chinese families see theirhopes for the future sold to the highest bidder.

Corruption is pervasive in every part of Chinese society, and education is no exception,Mr. Li said.

It begins even before the first day of school as the competition for admission to eliteschools has created a lucrative side business for school officials and those connected tothem.

Each spring, the Clean China Kindergarten, which is affiliated with the prestigiousTsinghua University and situated on its manicured campus in Beijing, receives a flood of requests from parents who see enrollment there as a conduit into one of Chinas bestuniversities. Officially, the school is open only to children of Tsinghua faculty. But forthe right price about 150,000 renminbi, or about $24,000, according to a staff member who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation a Tsinghuaprofessor can be persuaded to sponsor an applicant.

Parents with less direct connections have to bribe a chain of people for their child to beadmitted to the kindergarten. The more removed you are from the school, the moremoney you need, the staff member said. It can really add up.

A school official denied that outsiders could pay their way in.

The costs can increase as college gets closer. Chinese news media reported recently that

the going bribery rate for admission to a high school linked to the renowned RenminUniversity in Beijing is $80,000 to $130,000.

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Shi Da and Mia Li contributed research.

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in china schools, a culture of bribery spreads - nytimes

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