The Hidden Divide: Investigating school district residential and School Segregation and Its Influence on parental perception of social integration in Suzhou, China

Schools and neighbourhoods are two pivotal spatial domains influencing children's
development. However, China's residence-based enrollment policy and unique hukou
system tend to exclude students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds,
potentially intensifying the adverse impacts of spatial segregation on social integration.
Previous studies focused on neighbourhoods and schools separately, leaving a gap in
understanding the contextual effects of school district neighbourhood and school
segregation jointly. This study uses a large-scale questionnaire survey in Suzhou,
China, and the school district's associated geographical domains to bridge this gap.
The study examines whether school district neighbourhoods and school segregation
affect families with school-age children's perception of social integration during
compulsory education. Quantitative assessments show that addressing school
segregation and boosting school-based interaction provides better results than tackling
neighbourhood segregation and depending simply on neighborhood-based contact.
Schools are better at facilitating frequent inter-group interaction, which helps sustain
social integration. This confirms the complex link between social processes and spatial
arrangements, where school district composition reflects society.