Exploring the Equality and Determinants of Basic Educational Public Services from a Spatial Variation Perspective Using POI Data

The equitable distribution of basic educational services is crucial for attaining educational fairness and promoting balanced demographic and economic growth. This research leverages point-of-interest (POI) data to analyze the spatial arrangement of basic educational service facilities in the Yellow River Basin of China. Employing kernel density analysis and spatial autocorrelation with a geographic information system tool, this study examines the spatial distribution of these facilities. It also applies geographically weighted regression to identify the primary factors influencing their spatial layout. This study reveals a pronounced disparity between the four downstream and five upstream provinces of the Yellow River Basin in terms of basic educational facility availability. In the downstream provinces, facilities constitute 82.45% of the total, markedly surpassing the level of 17.55% in the upstream provinces. The kernel density analysis shows that areas with a high concentration of educational facilities often align with provincial capitals, including Taiyuan in Shanxi Province, Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, Zhengzhou in Henan Province, and regions around Shandong Province. Significant regional differences exist within the Yellow River Basin. Preprimary, primary, and secondary education facilities exhibit strong spatial clustering, with Moran’s I indices of 0.26, 0.19, and 0.09, respectively. High–high clusters of preprimary education are predominantly found in the western region of the basin, whereas low–low clusters appear in some eastern and northern areas. Primary and secondary educational facilities show high–high clustering in the north. The spatial distribution of these educational facilities is chiefly influenced by the permanent population and the proportion of the tertiary industry. Per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and educational fiscal expenditure play secondary roles in influencing the spatial layout. The results have important practical significance for promoting the equalization of basic education public services and equal educational opportunities for the school-age population in the Yellow River Basin.