The concept of `学区房` is a window into the soul of modern China's anxieties and aspirations, revolving around education as the primary path to success. Its importance is rooted in several key factors: 1. The Gaokao (高考): The national college entrance exam is a single, grueling test that largely determines a student's future. Getting into a good university is paramount, and the path to a good university starts with a good primary and middle school. 2. Uneven Educational Resources: There is a vast difference in quality between “key schools” (`重点学校`) and ordinary schools. Key schools receive more funding, better teachers, and have a proven track record of sending students to top universities. 3. The Hukou (户口) System: China's household registration system ties access to social services, including public education, to one's official registered address. To attend a specific school, a child's `hukou` must typically be registered at an address within that school's designated zone. Buying a `学区房` is often the only way to do this. Comparison to Western Culture: While Americans and Europeans also value good school districts and will pay a premium for homes in those areas, the `学区房` phenomenon is far more extreme. In the West, the premium might be 10-20%. In China, a `学区房` can be double or triple the price of an identical property just a block away, outside the desired zone. Furthermore, Western families are buying a home to live in; in China, it's common for a family to buy a tiny, unlivable `学区房` solely to register their address, while continuing to live elsewhere in a larger, more comfortable apartment. The historical precedent for this is the famous idiom 孟母三迁 (mèng mǔ sān qiān) — “Mencius's mother moves three times” — which praises the mother of the philosopher Mencius for repeatedly moving to find the best possible environment for her son's upbringing. The modern `学区房` is the ultimate expression of this ancient value.
`学区房` is a hot-button topic in everyday life, real estate, and government policy.