Equity-efficiency trade-offs in school consolidation policy: a case study from Sino-Tibetan intercultural D County, China

Purpose This study aims to explore the impact of the school consolidation policy in D County on educational equity and efficiency in ethnic minority areas, assess its implementation outcomes and identify the optimal model for balancing educational equity and efficiency. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative research design with a multi-method approach, combining document analysis, fieldwork and interviews to explore the impact of the school consolidation policy in D County on educational equity and efficiency in ethnic minority areas. Findings Studies have demonstrated that D County, as a paradigmatic exemplar of the Sino-Tibetan intercultural area in China, manifests a developmental trajectory in terms of equity and efficiency that is largely congruent with the overarching national trend during the implementation of the school consolidation policy. However, due to the constraints imposed by its distinctive natural environment, economic development level and religious-cultural dynamics, the policy’s implementation has exhibited certain deviations, thereby engendering new challenges pertaining to educational equity. Research limitations/implications This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the development trajectory of China’s school consolidation policy, based on the analytical framework of educational equity and efficiency, and critically explores its implementation in ethnic minority regions. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in using a 2 * 2 contingency matrix based on the relationship between educational equity and efficiency to compare the development trajectory of the school consolidation policy at both the national level and in ethnic minority regions.