Shadow education in Chongqing, China: Factors underlying demand and policy implications

As in many parts of the world, China has seen rapid growth of the shadow education system of private supplementary tutoring. Despite its major social and economic impact on individuals, households, and education systems, the phenomenon remains under-researched. Based on data from a mixed-methods study, this article explores factors at multiple levels that underlie the demand for private supplementary tutoring in Chongqing, the largest of China’s semi-autonomous municipalities. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the most significant factors underlying demand and was supplemented by findings from interviews and case studies. Following the analysis, the article discusses policy implications.