Educational Equality Among China's Minorities

and 1970s in Western societies, and an escalation of state intervention in the provision of education. Since the government is often responsible for the education of its citizens, embracing one or another of these interpretations has important implications for policymakers. The first requires only the provision of educational facilities for those who are qualified and wish to be educated; adequacy in the provision of such facilities fluctuates with the definition of 'academically qualified'. In the second case, the state provides educational opportunities for all regardless of ability. This interpretation is often translated to mean providing a minimal number of years of formal education rather than ensuring the incumbents reach a particular level of competence. In the third instance, government