Spatial mismatch analyses of school land in China using a spatial statistical approach

Given the continuous migration of populations from rural areas to urban areas and parents' need to decide on schools, the phenomenon of a spatial mismatch between supply of and demand for school land prevails in many countries. This can cause waste of land resources in regions with oversupply of school land and a lack of educational facilities in regions with undersupply. National and local government authorities utilize different means to explore this spatial mismatch problem and balance the allocation of education resources through land-use policy interventions. This study presents a quantification procedure and measurement technique for school land spatial mismatch through spatial statistics. Specifically, the supply–demand balance of school land is evaluated in the context of population migration. In addition, the spatial statistics reveal whether there is spatial clustering of oversupplied and undersupplied schools. Consequently, the adjustment of school land in cluster areas can be achieved in stages based on a key set of spatial mismatch analyses. This measurement is applied in Yuncheng County and it is found that there is a spatial clustering of mismatched schools and that the adjustment strategy should focus on the areas where spatial clustering has occurred and will occur in the future. The proposed framework enables national and local authorities to identify and prioritize the areas with school land mismatches to ensure efficient management of school land resources and fair allocation of educational facilities.