高雄市國民中學鄰近學校規模差距成因及其教育機會均等意涵之研究

Abstract

過往與教育機會均等的相關研究，多以量化方式探討城鄉間的差異，而都市學校往往被認為較不具有教育機會不均等的問題。然而近年來，在升學主義與少子化的影響下，家長選校時出現的「西瓜偎大邊」現象，使得鄰近學校規模差距拉大，並造成教育機會不均的現象。因此，本研究即透過對高雄市的「西瓜學校」（指距離鄰近但規模差距甚大的學校組合），以地理資訊系統與個案研究方式，瞭解高雄市81-99學年學校規模變化之趨勢，找出西瓜配對學校，並瞭解其規模差距的成因及對教育機會均等的影響。

本研究發現，高雄市從81學年至99學年，國中學生有逐漸集中在特定學校之趨勢；且在市中心地區，因設校密集與人口衰退而易形成「西瓜學校」，且具不同的組合型態。本研究個案「西瓜學校」之成因，包括人口變化與社區發展、學校所在位置、升學主義、校長領導與學校經營以及總量管制辦法。而「西瓜學校」對於教育機會均等的影響，則表現在學校的教育經費、教師部分（包含教師文化、流動、人力調度、教師士氣等）、學校行政運作以及學生學習；普遍而言，在這些部分大校較小校擁有更多的資源與優勢，且以此進一步鞏固或拉大與鄰近小校的差距。因而出現如同「貧者愈貧、富者愈富」的馬太效應。最後，根據本研究結果，從教育制度與學校經營等方面提出改進之建議，供相關教育單位參考。

Past studies on inequality of educational opportunity in Taiwan mainly focus on urban/ rural disparity. Inequality of educational opportunity within the same areas, on the other hand, is often neglected. This is especially true when nearby schools having very different student population. Parents in Taiwan tend to choose bigger school for their children to secure better benefit (so-called “watermelon effect”). Such parental practices of school choice cause huge differences in school sizes and student composition. To understand the condition of the Matthew effect among near by schools in the same area as well as their impact on inequality of educational opportunity, this research uses Geography Information System (GIS) to locate the pairs of watermelon schools in Kaohsiung city. The researcher then conduct case study to investigate the factors that have contributed to the size differences among nearby schools and the impact of size differences on equality of educational opportunity.

The finding shows that: Different Size of Junior High Schools in Nearby Schools Through GIS, the finding shows that the school size difference in Kaohsiung is increasing over time. And the “watermelon pairs” are mostly located in downtown city due to the intensity of schools and the declining birth rate. Besides, the “watermelon pairs” also have different combinations.

Reasons forHuge Differences in School Size School size differs for many reasons. Geographic locations of schools, declining birth rates, principal leadership, school management, parental preference, and inappropriate policies are all related to the cause of “watermelon effect”.

Impact on Equality of Educational Opportunity School size differences are related to inequality of educational opportunity. Funding levels of the school, teacher culture and morale, the distribution of education resources, and the social capital of school among schools of different sizes vary greatly. . Smaller schools in the watermelon pairs usually are the abandoned one and they do poorly in the above-mention dimensions. Such facts affect parents’ school choice behaviors and the cycle constitutes a “Matthew Effect.”