Distance Education in China

James Willcox

Joanne Kline

Yoko Nagashima

Education System Overview

• Centralized Control– Ministry of Education

• Formulate laws

• Set policies for curriculum

• Provide funding and funding guidelines

• Funding support from controlling authority– Local primary schools, local support– Higher education, national support

Education System (cont)

• Funding shared locally with social partners– Job training, work-study partnerships

– Extends to higher ed with employer sponsorship

• Compulsory education laws since 1986– 9 year target: universal in areas w/90% population

– Varying standards based on development

– More a goal than a reality for rural areas

Education levels within China

• Basic Education– Combination or primary and junior middle

school (either 5:4 or 6:3 mix)– 135 million students

• Occupational/Polytechnic Education– Some professional schools, technical training– Short-term vocational lo-tech training as well– 19 million students in 1999

Education levels (cont)

• Higher Education– About 30% pursue academic track and take

NCEE– Options plentiful, varying levels of support– All but the most talented now pay some portion– Student loan concept in early stages– China must educate workforce at minimal cost– 1978-1987: 842k to over 2 mill college students

Education levels (cont)

• Adult Education– Overlaps all previous categories– Includes both long and short term instruction– Ranges from adult literacy to short and regular

term college instruction– Targeted for older adults not on academic

“track” or unavailable for instruction (or vice versa)

History of Distance Ed in China• Existed for nearly 100 years

• Combat literacy in rural China

• Largest distance learning network in the world

• Comprehensive: snail mail to online courses

• 3 types of distance education today:– Correspondence University System

– Self-study; University Exam

– Dianda (CRTVU/PRTVU)

• Stage 1: 1914-1949

– Literacy correspondence courses started by the Commercial Press

– Correspondence colleges took over in 1940s

– Establishment of communist regime: 1949

Stage 2: Mix media

Stage 2: 1949-1966

• Ideal vehicle for economic development and socialist modernization

• Large colleges and universities continued correspondence courses (eg: People’s University of China, Northeast Teacher’s University)

• Radio: professional teachers broadcast to different regions

• TV: hybrid model of video instruction, textbooks and face-to-face instruction (Beijing TV Univ.)

– 1960-1966

– Over 50,000 finished single subject studies (10,000 at BTU)

• Cultural Revolution: all TVUs dissolved

Stage 3: Radio & TV Universities

• Stage 3: 1979-1994– CRTVU (Central Radio & Television University) &

PRTVUs– National curricula, teaching and testing– By 1983, 44.3% of students registered in Chinese

higher education were in distance education courses– 1986: Satellite TV network established (CETV) – 1991: 5000 hrs of broadcasting a year– 1994: 850,000 enrolled students

Stage 4: Online Initiative

• 1988: Ministry of Education pilot programs • CERNET: country wide internet backbone

– managed by Education Commission– High speed distance education program– Connects primary-adult education institutions– Goal is to connect western part of country (285 mil.

People, 23% of population)• By 2010: modern distance ed program completed• 8.9mil Internet users in China (mostly eastern)• 20mil by 2003

Case Study: China Radio & TV Universities

• Mission“serving socialist construction, producing qualified manpower needed for the socialist construction and raising the scientific and cultural level of the whole nation”

• Centralized system – Before 1986 Centralized policy: Unified system

– After 1986 Decentralized policy: 60% CRTVU vs. 40% RTVUs

CRTVUs’ Five level structureMinistries &

Organizations

State Education Commission

Provincial Education

Commission

Civic/Prefectural Education

Commission

Rural County/Urban District Education

Bureaus

CRTVU

PRTVUs (44)

Branch Schools (690)

Work Stations (1,600)

RTVU Classes (13,000)

Industry Work

Stations

Administrative leadership

Academic Guidance

CRTVU Programs & Technology

• Programs: – Degree – Diploma & Bachelor degree– Non-degree – In-service training & Continuing education– Humanities and technical degrees/courses

• Technology: – Multimedia (radio and television broadcasting, audio and

visual recordings, and print materials).

• Teaching & Learning– Radio and TV broadcasting– Class lectures – Tutoring

• Effectiveness?

CRTVUs’ Funding China Central Television & China Education Television (Funded by ministries & SEDC)

State Education Commission

Provincial Education

Commission

Civic/Prefectural Education

Commission

Rural County/Urban District Education

Bureaus

CRTVU

PRTVUs

Branch Schools

Work Stations

RTVU Classes•For sec. school grads & school leavers•For work unit

Industry Work

Stations

Financial Support

Industries, companies, & enterprises

Factories, shops, gov. bureaus

CRTVU Accomplishments• up to 1996

– Almost 3 million enrolled (degree program courses)– 2.1 million graduated

• At present over one million undergraduates of all types at entire RTVU system

• Over 600,000 primary and secondary school teachers have completed the in-service teacher training programs

• About 500,000 in-service adults have gone through the courses offered by CRTV Specialized Secondary School and received certificates

Implications of Distance Education for China

• More educated population, dispersed– Higher productivity, Economic growth– Further development of domestic industry– Less dependence on MNC investment– More attractive for foreign investment—more

plentiful local managerial talent and more educated workforce

Implications of Distance Education for China (cont)

• Higher payoffs from economic growth provide incentives for open markets

• Population better able to support local industry and development

• Economic growth more likely outside of major cities

• Less dependence on traditional core areas/industry of Chinese economy

Implications of Distance Education for China (cont)

• Requires ongoing maintenance and technical support

• More difficult control of information

• A crisis of rising expectations for the general population

• Less dependence on central economic and political hubs