EIREducational Innovation Research3029-18443029-1852Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.10.18063/EIR.v3i9.1174ArticleGame-Theoretic Analysis of the Loss of High-Quality Student Sources in County-Level General High Schools and the Construction of a Return Mechanismhttps://artdesignp.com/journal/EIR/3/9/10.18063/EIR.v3i9.1174SuJieru2025392025-10-26With the rapid development of China’s economy and society, county-level general high schools have fallen into a vicious cycle characterized by “student outflow – teacher mobility – reduced investment.” The fundamental cause lies in the imbalance between the supply and demand of educational resources. Urban high schools, benefiting from policy preferences and capital advantages, occupy a dominant position, while county-level general high schools struggle to compete due to insufficient resources. Differences among governments, schools, and families further intensify student outflow. This paper proposes reconstructing a balanced educational ecosystem through optimizing resource allocation, innovating distinctive school-running models, strengthening home–school collaboration, and improving policy safeguards. By means of institutional restructuring, this mechanism integrates the efforts of multiple stakeholders, helps county-level high schools regain confidence in talent cultivation, and provides support for educational equity and high-quality regional development.county-level regions,general high schools,loss of high-quality student sources, game-theoretic analysis, return mechanism

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