OVERVIEW:China education is the largest education system in the world. On June 2015, there were 9.42 million students taking the National Higher Education Entrance Examination (Gao Kao) in China. Investment in education accounts for about 4% of total GDP in China. In 1986, the Chinese government passed a compulsory education law, making nine years of education mandatory for all Chinese children. Today, the Ministry of Education estimates that 99.7 percent of the population area of the country has achieved universal nine-year basic education.

 

China has a long history of providing education to international students studying in high schools and universities. International students have enrolled in over 775 higher education institutions throughout the country. Over the past few years, the number of international students who study abroad in China has significantly increased every year.

The higher education sector has growth as well. China is seeking to improve the quality of education through a major effort at curriculum reform. China has increased the proportion of its college-age population in higher education to over 20 percent now from 1.4 percent in 1978.

China has a consistent teacher development system. Teaching has historically been and remains today a highly respected profession in China. Teachers have strong preparation in their subject matter and prospective teachers spend a great deal of time observing the classrooms of experienced teachers, often in schools attached to their universities. Once teachers are employed in school, there is a system of induction and continuous professional development in which groups of teachers work together with master teachers on lesson plans and improvement.

HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN CHINA

Confucianism

Many Chinese scholars believe that the history of education in China can be tracked back to the 16th century B.C. during the late "Xia Dynasty" (1523-1027 B.C.). During this period of time, education in China was the privilege of the elites. The teachings of Confucianism during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (770-221 B.C.), the curriculum were mainly based on The Four Books and The Five Classics. The Four Books and The Five Classics were the acknowledged subjects of the Confucian culture in the feudal society in ancient China. The Four Books refers to The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, Confucian Analects and The Works of Mencius. And The Five Classics includes The Book of Poetry (also known as The Book of Songs, The Book of Odes), The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes, and The Spring and Autumn Annals.

Confucianism probably is the biggest influence in education of China throughout the entire Chinese history. Later in Han Dynasty, a form of public education system was established. Not only elites from upper class families can study in school, common man can also use education as a path to become a better man, known as gentleman.

In Confucianism, a gentleman (Chun Tzu) considers what is right, when the peasant considers what will pay. A gentleman trusts in justice and the peasant trusts in favor. A gentleman is generous and fair, when the peasant is biased and petty. A gentleman looks within for guidance and the peasant looks unto others. A gentleman is easy to serve, and hard to please. The peasant is hard to serve, and easy to please. A gentleman is to know what we know, and know what we do not know.

The basic concept of gentleman in Confucianism often emphasizes the different behaviors between the gentleman and the peasant. A peasant in ancient Chinese society can be better described as today’s common man or average citizen. As a result, not everyone can be a gentleman in ancient Chinese society. In fact, studying Confucianism itself was limited to very few people in ancient China. Most of them are from ruling and upper class families. They were the group of people in need to educate in the classics and understand morality. They

needed to understand why things have to be done as they had the duty to their families, ancestors and the empire. Gentleman with knowledge will then carry out Chinese cultural traditions or even set rules of society for others.

Civil Exam

On the other hand, the common people should follow the traditions and rules. In ancient Chinese culture, there was no need for the common people to know why. For common people, studying Confucianism and be a gentleman had been the most efficient way for them advancing into upper class. During Han dynasty, the first civil service exam was set up. Confucianism, with no surprise, was one of the key subjects to study for the civil service exam. Provincial schools were established countrywide and the Confucianism tradition of education was spread all over China. "To enrich your family, there is no need to buy good land: Books hold a thousand measures of grain.

 

For an easy life, there is no need to build mansion: In books are found houses of gold. When you go out, do not be upset if no one follows you: In books there will be a crowd of horses and carriages. If you wish to marry, don’t be upset if you don't have a go-between: In books there are girls with faces like jade. A young man who wishes to be somebody will devote his time to the Classics. He will face the window and read." There were people who spend their entire lifetime studying on Confucianism in order to get respected, not only for themselves, but also for the pride of their family lines.

The civil service exam system from Han dynasty had been used until the Qing dynasty. Changes had been made throughout thousands years of history, more western influence were bought into the Chinese education system during the Qing dynasty. With the humiliating defeat under the hands of British army in the Opium War (1840-1842), scholars and government officials suggested a major restructure of education system, developing new areas such as foreign language, science and technology. In 1911, the Qing Dynasty itself was overthrown by revolution, and a republican form of government was established. At that time, government completely abandoned the traditional way of education. New educational models from European, American and Japanese were set up in China.

New Era

 

Before 1946, the country had only 1,300 kindergartens, 289,000 primary schools and 4,266 secondary schools. With the adoption of the policy of reform and opening to the outside world in 1978, basic education entered a new era of progress.

In 1985, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued the "Decision on the Reform of the educational Structure", laying down the principle that local governments should be responsible for basic education. The new policy was an incentive for local governments, especially those of the counties and townships. In 1986, the National People's Congress promulgated the "Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China", thus placing basic education in the country on a firm legal basis.

In 1993 the CPC Central Committee and the State Council jointly issued the "Guidelines for the Reform and Development of Education in China", clarifying the directions and basic policies for the development of basic education till the early years of the 21st century. In early 1999, the State Council ratified the "Action Plan for Educational Vitalization Facing the 21st Century" formulated by the Ministry of Education (MOE), laying down the implementation of the strategy of "Invigorate China through Science, Technology and Education" and drawing the blueprint of reform and development for the cross century education based on the "Education Law of the People's republic of China" and the "Guidelines for the Reform and Development of Education in China". In June 1999, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council jointly promulgated the "Decision on the Deepening of Educational Reform and the Full Promotion of Quality Education", clarifying the direction for the establishment of a vital socialistic education with Chinese characteristics in the 21st century.

During the past 60 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, basic education in China has gained tremendous achievements. In 2010, there were 138,209 kindergartens with an enrollment of 15,468,596 young children. In 2010, there were altogether 280,184 primary schools with an enrollment of 17,388,465 students. Primary schools employed totally 6,135,536 full-time staffs and secondary schools employed 5,845,444 full-time staffs. Today, the Nine-Year Compulsory Education (NYCE) had been universalized in the area where 99.7% of the population inhabits, the highest rate among the E-9 countries.

China's Educational System

Generally , education in China can be divided into the following stages:

1, Pre-school education for the 3-5 years old children in kindergartens.

2, Primary education for 6-11 years old children. Primary schools are usually run by local educational authorities, and in some cases, by enterprises and individuals.

3, Secondary school provided to 12-17 years old children. Education of this kind is conducted by local governments and various business authorities are classified as secondary schools or vocational high schools whose graduates hold the same degree studying as graduates senior middle schools and sorts of secondary professional schools whose graduates enjoy some privileges as from colleges. In particular, public secondary schools include junior middle schools and senior middle schools, both for three years of study. Students graduating from junior schools usually go to common senior middle schools, and parts of them go to vocational high schools or secondary professional schools for 3-5 years of studying.

4, Higher education constituted by those for vocational college students, undergraduates, postgraduates and doctorial students. Higher education is performed by universities, colleges, institutes and vocational colleges. These institutions bear the three major tasks of raising courses, doing scientific researches and providing social services.

Primary Education

In China, primary school education is compulsory and it lasts 6 years. Children start schools at age six (seven in some areas). The language of instruction is Mandarin Chinese with the exception of the primary schools that mainly admit

ethnic minority students. A typical school year is comprised of two semesters and runs from the month of September to July. Students attend classes five days a week and primary school education currently includes nine compulsory courses, which include Chinese, Mathematics, Social Studies, Nature, Physical Education, Ideology and Morality, Music, Fine Art, and Labor Studies. Foreign Language is normally offered as an elective course. In order to graduate, all students are required to pass graduation examinations in the subjects of Chinese and Mathematics. The examinations are normally designed and administered by schools with guidance from local educational authorities. Students move on to 3-year junior (lower) secondary schools after graduating from primary schools. 

Middle Education

Junior (lower) secondary education lasts three years following the completion of primary school. In order for students to obtain a certificate of graduation, students are required to pass graduation examinations and meet minimum physical education standards. The graduation examinations are designed and administered by individual schools according to guidelines set by the provincial educational bureaus or by local educational authorities. Students are typically examined in the following subjects for graduation: Chinese, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Foreign Language, and Politics. Completion of junior (lower) secondary education also marks the end of a 9-year (6+3) compulsory education program. 

Secondary Education

After the completion of junior (lower) secondary school, students can choose to enter either general (academic) senior secondary school or vocational senior secondary school. General (academic) senior secondary school lasts 3 years and vocational senior secondary school lasts 3 or 4 years. Senior secondary school is known as and vocational senior secondary school is known as in China. Students wishing to continue their study in the general (academic) track must pass the entrance examinations for general senior secondary schools, which is also known

as in China. Designed and administered by provincial educational authorities, the entrance examination includes the same subjects as the junior secondary graduation examination. At the end of their final school year, graduates of senior secondary schools seeking admission to post-secondary education are required to take the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, also called National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), commonly known as in China.

Vocational Education

Vocational education programs are offered at both the secondary and post-secondary levels. Vocational senior secondary schools provide subject and occupation specific education and training. Vocational senior secondary education is highly employment oriented and graduates normally enter the workforce. However, it does offer some access to further education, particularly in the technical/vocational specialties. Since the year 2000, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has allowed graduates of vocational secondary schools to take the NCEE and be admitted into higher education programs. 

Higher technical/vocational education is available at the zhuanke level, which require two or three years of full-time post-secondary study. It is possible for graduates of higher vocational education programs at the zhuanke level to obtain a "benke" degree (Bachelor’s degree) certificate through an upgrading program, but in a limited number of fields. Vocational higher education institutions are currently administered at the provincial level. 

Tertiary Education

Higher education is provided by institutions of various types including general and technical universities, specialized institutions, professional universities, military institutions, medical schools and colleges, independent colleges, and adult higher education institutions of various types. Entry to university depends primarily on how well the students perform in the entrance examinations. Students with outstanding academic performance in their secondary schools can also possibly be granted an exemption from the entrance examination and be recommended directly to the university of their choice through a method called (baosong). In addition, some private institutions are exempted from the NCEE (gaokao) and accept all students who can afford the tuition fees. Prestigious universities (key institutions) maintain higher admission standards, and therefore require higher NCEE (gaokao) scores than other institutions. Entry to higher education in China is highly competitive.

Grading System in China

Grading Scales:

Five-Scale (Most common secondary)

Scale Grade Description

US Grade

90.00 - 100.00 (Excellent) A

80.00 - 89.00 (Good) B

70.00 - 79.00 (Satisfactory) C

60.00 - 69.00 (Pass) D

0.00 - 59.00 (Fail) F

Four-ScaleGrade Scale Grade

DescriptionUS Grade

A 85.00 - 100.00 (Excellent) A

B 75.00 - 84.99 (Good) B

C 60.00 - 74.99 (Satisfactory) C

D 0.00 - 59.99 (Fail) F

Conclusion:

China is generally known for its high population, high population growth rate, endemic poverty and high rate of adult illiteracy. For the inflexible character of education, a vast number of people remain illiterate. The magnitude of the education challenges implies that, in addition to ensuring primary schooling, more efforts are needed to develop literacy and nonformal education so as to reach those children, youths and adults who are unreached by the formal system. Findings of the study explose that education is significantly instrumental in improving the students' health awareness and in making them conscious about their environment. As a result of receiving education, daily behavioral activities of the students have changed positively. So it is evident that education has a good impact on the learners' quality of life.

References and Websites Consulted Association of Independent Institutions. (May, 2009). Independent Institutions: The Booming Section of Higher Education in China. Retrieved June 9, 2009 from http://www.dixy.org/article_show.asp?id=165

China National Center for Student Assistance Administration website. http://www.csa.cee.edu.cn/show_class.jsp?rootid=107

Economic News Broadcast. (June 30, 2008). Survey on College Students’ Annual Spending in Shanghai. Retrieved May 28, 2009 from http://business.sohu.com/20080630/n257840167.shtml . Jianxi News Network. (March 10, 2008). Food price slightly increased in the dining halls of Jiangxi University. Retrieved June, 10, 2009 from http://www.jxcn.cn/525/2008 - 3 10/30093@376211.htm Huayu Forum. (May 20, 2009). “Annual spending of college students”. Retrieved June 7, 2009, from http://bbs.hsw.cn/viewthread.php?tid=825545

Minister of Education. China. (2002). Introduction of Higher Education Tuition Reform. Retrieved May 13, 2009 from http://www.moe.gov.cn/edoas/website18/75/info6275.htm

Minister of Education. China. (2006a). Number of Higher Education Institutions. Retrieved June 7, 2009, from http://www.moe.gov.cn/edoas/website18/04/info33504.htm Minister of Education. China. (2006b). Changes in Higher Education Enrolment. Retrieved June 7, 2009, from http://www.moe.gov.cn/edoas/website 18/53/info33553.htm