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Inequalities in college access are a major concern for policymakers in both developed and developing countries. Policymakers in China have largely tried to address these inequalities by helping disadvantaged students successfully transition from high school to college. However, they have paid less attention to the possibility that inequalities in college access may also arise earlier in the pathway to college. The purpose of this paper is to understand where inequalities emerge along the pathway to college in China, focusing on three major milestones after junior high. By analysing administrative data on over 300,000 students from one region of China, we find that the largest inequalities in college access emerge at the first post-compulsory milestone along the pathway to college: when students transition from junior high to high school. In particular, only 60 per cent of students from poor counties take the high school entrance exam (compared to nearly 100 per cent of students from non-poor counties). Furthermore, students from poor counties are about one and a half times less likely to attend academic high school and elite academic high school than students from non-poor counties. (China Q/GIGA)

AbstractStudents in rural China are dropping out of secondary school at troubling rates. While there is considerable quantitative research on this issue, no systematic effort has been made to assess the deeper reasons behind student decision making through a mixed-methods approach. This article seeks to explore the prevalence, correlates and potential reasons for rural dropout throughout the secondary education process. It brings together results from eight large-scale survey studies covering 24,931 rural secondary students across four provinces, as well as analysis of extensive interviews with 52 students from these same study sites. The results show that the cumulative dropout rate across all windows of secondary education may be as high as 63 per cent. Dropping out is significantly correlated with low academic performance, high opportunity cost, low socio-economic status and poor mental health. A model is developed to suggest that rural dropout is primarily driven by two mechanisms: rational cost-benefit analysis or impulsive, stress-induced decision making.

In the Republic of Ireland (RoI), COVID-19 public health guidelines have been most restrictive for people aged 70 and over. Such individuals are most likely to avail of befriending services offered by a network of Irish organisations. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 guidelines on befriending service users, and to develop recommended adaptations to befriending services compatible with such guidelines. A qualitative constructivist grounded theory approach was taken to the study design and analysis, using semi-structured interviews to collect data from 11 participants by telephone between May 2020 and January 2021. Results show a grounded theory describing how older users of a befriending service maintained their personal autonomy in the face of strict government guidelines. Participants described living life as usual, often contravening guidelines, and how they chose to adapt to the situation, yielding both positive and negative outcomes. Some potential adaptations were discussed to the befriending service (including a preserved focus on the social and emotional functions of the befriending relationship, and the accommodation of collaborative decision making about communicative alternatives), but ultimately it was made clear that participants would tailor the services to their own preferences. Results have implications for befriending service design and delivery, and for public health officials who wish to support the health of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: To explore whether there was a difference in objectively measured physical activity and study participation between people who received their preferred study group allocation (matched) and those who did not receive their preferred study group (mismatched). Design: Secondary data from the NewCOACH randomized controlled trial. Setting: Insufficiently active patients in the primary care settings in Sydney and Newcastle, Australia. Participants: One hundred seventy-two adults aged 20 to 81 years. Intervention: Participants indicated their intervention preference at baseline for (1) five face-to-face visits with an exercise specialist, (2) one face-to-face visit and 4 telephone follow-ups with an exercise specialist, (3) written material, or (4) slight-to-no preference. Participants were then allocated to an intervention group and categorized as either "matched" or "mismatched" based on their indications. Participants who reported a slight-to-no preference was categorized as "matched." Measures: Daily step count as measured by pedometers and study participation. Analysis: Mean differences between groups in daily step count at 3 and 12 months (multiple linear regression models) and study participation at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months (χ2 tests). Results: Preference for an intervention group prior to randomization did not significantly (all P's > .05 using 95% confidence interval) impact step counts (differences of <600 steps/day between groups) or study participation. Conclusion: Future research should continue to address whether the strength of preferences influence study outcome and participation and whether the study preferences change over time.