|
|
| Education Evolution in China |
|
|
| 2004/05/13 |
|
Since 1949 when the
People's Republic of China was founded, Chinese government
has always been placing the education on its higher agenda,
which has promulgated multiple codes to protect the
education rights of its population from different angels,
especially of ethical groups, children, women and disabled.
Through uninterrupted efforts in the past five decades,
China has made significant progress in its education
sector.
The K9 compulsory education is being
implemented nationwide in stages in a planned way; primary
schooling has been prevailed in areas concentrating 91% of
Chinese population; higher education, occupational and
polytechnic education, diversified adult education and
ethical education have been developed rapidly. All these
have contributed to a multilayered, diversified and
discipline-inclusive education system in China and
facilitated the cross-border communication and cooperation
in education sector.
I. Education Management
and Administration System in China
China has
set up an education system with government as the major
investor and social partners as co-investors. In current
stage, local government is playing a key role in compulsory
education, while central and provincial government are
dominant in higher education. In occupational and adult
education, social partners including industrial
organizations, businesses and public institutions are
playing a more and more important role.
Ministry of Education of PRC is the supreme
education administration body in China, which is responsible
for carrying out related laws, regulations, guidelines and
policies of the central government; planning development of
education sector; integrating and coordinating educational
initiatives and programs nationwide; maneuvering and guiding
education reform countrywide.
Since 1978,
Chinese government has promulgated such codes as Degree
Statute of the People's Republic of China, Law of Compulsory
Education of the People's Republic of China, Law of Teachers
of the People's Republic of China, Law of Protection over
Juveniles of the People's Republic of China, Education Law
of the People's Republic of China, Statute for Teacher's
Eligibility and Law of Higher education of the People's
Republic of China, and released more than ten sets of
education administration regulations. The Ministry of
Education, within its jurisdiction, has issued more than 200
sets of administrative rules and regulations, significantly
facilitating development of education of different
natures.
With regard to education budget,
financial allocation is still the major source, while
multiple fund channels have been opened up. At present, fund
needed by schools directly controlled by the central
government comes from the central financial pool; schools
controlled by local governments are supported by local
finance; schools sponsored by township and villageship
governments and by public institutions are mainly financed
by the sponsor institutions and subsidized by local
governments; funds needed by schools operated by social
partners and celebrities are raised by the sponsors
themselves (including collecting tuition from students and
soliciting contributions). In addition to these sources, the
central government is advocating work-study programs, aiming
at improving the education conditions through premium
services.
China's educational fund has been
increased on yearly basis since 1978. Total educational
input in 1998 reached RMB294.906 billion, amongst, 203.245
billion from the revenue pool, of which, 156.559 billion
from budget allocation in a strict sense.
II.
China's Education System
China's education
system is composed of 4 components, i.e. basic education,
occupational/polytechnic education, common higher education
and adult education.
Basic
Education
Basic education comprises of
pre-school education, primary (6 years) and junior (3 years)
and senior (3 years) middle schooling. Some argue that basic
education should mean the K9 compulsory education covering
primary and junior middle schooling
duration.
Chinese government has always been
listing basic education as one of its top priorities. Since
1986 when the Law of Compulsory Education of the People's
Republic of China was promulgated, primary schooling has
been prevailed in most areas in China, while junior middle
schooling is being popularized in large cities and
economically developed areas. Up to 1999, there were 582,300
primary schools countrywide with an enrollment of 135.5496
million; enrollment rate of school-age children reached
99.09%; five-year retention rate 92.48%; primary schooling
prevailed in areas concentrating 91% of the total
population; enrollment quotas of primary school graduates
94.3%. Moderate development was also witnessed in junior
middle schooling countrywide.
By 1999, there
were 64,400 common junior middle schools nationwide with
admission of 21.8344 million and enrollment of 58.1165
million; gross enrollment rate 88.6%; enrollment quotas up
to 50%. There were 14,100 common high schools nationwide
with admission of 3,963,200 and enrollment of 10.4971
million. Up to 1998, there were 10,074 occupational middle
schools nationwide with admission of 2.176 million and
enrollment of 5.416 million.
In 1999, there
were 1,520 special schools opened for deaf-mutes and
mentally disabled children, with an enrollment of 371,600,
or 13,200 above the previous year. More than half of the
handicapped children had access to basic education. There
were 181,110 kindergartens nationwide with an enrollment of
23.2626 million.
Medium-level Occupational and
Polytechnic Education
Mainly composed of
medium-level professional schools, polytechnic schools,
occupational middle schools as well as short-term
occupational and technical training programs of various
forms.
Since 1980's, Chinese occupational and
polytechnic education has experienced rapid development. Up
to 1997, there were 33,464 occupational and polytechnic
schools nationwide with an enrollment of 18.6976 million;
more than 2,100 pre-employment training schools providing
training for about 1 million people per year. Proportion of
enrollment of high-school-equivalent occupational and
polytechnic schools in total enrollment of high schools had
increased from 18.9% in 1980 to 56.47% in
1999.
Up to 1999, there were 3,962 secondary
technical schools nationwide with an enrollment of
5,155,000. As for the disciplinary structure, enrollment in
finance and economics, sports and arts programs went up
steadily, while that in technical subjects went down
gradually. In 1999, there were 8,317 vocational senior
middle schools nationwide with admission of 1,603,800 and
enrollment of 4,438,400; 4,098 polytechnic schools with
admission of 515,500 and enrollment of
1,560,500.
Common Higher Education
Common higher education comprises of junior
college, bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs.
Junior college program usually last 2~3 years; bachelor
program 4 years (medical and some engineering and technical
programs, 5 years); master program 2~3 years; doctoral
program 3 years.
In five decades since 1949,
China has made significant achievements in higher education.
In 1981, China roadmapped a degree system composed of
bachelor, master and doctor. Through waves of reform and
restructuring, higher education in the country has been
vitalized, scale expanded, structure upgraded, quality and
efficiency improved, leading to a multilayered, diversified
and discipline-inclusive higher education system
accommodating the socio-economic development in the country,
which is playing an important role in facilitating national
economy construction, science and technology advance and
social development.
Up to 1999, there were
1,071 common colleges and universities countrywide offering
2,754,500 seats to those applying for junior college and
bachelor programs, 19,900 seats to those applying for
doctoral programs and 72,300 seats to master program
applicants, and accommodating 54,000 doctoral candidates and
179,500 master candidates. From 1979 through 1997, 829,100
people completed their junior college and bachelor programs
with these colleges and universities, or 2.58 times of the
total in 30 years prior to 1979. During the period from 1981
to 1996, colleges/universities and scientific research
institutions nationwide granted doctoral degrees to 20,514
people and master degrees to 285,943 people. In 1996, the
admission ratio of master to bachelor and junior college
program was 1:16.26; junior college to bachelor program
1:0.91.
As for the admission structure of
bachelor and junior college programs, an ascendant curve has
been witnessed in areas of liberal, finance and economics,
politics and law, sports and arts, amongst, the steepest in
finance and economics subjects, while admission in science
and engineering declined slightly.
In these
colleges and universities, there are more than 3,400
research institutions approved by competent authorities;
nearly 500 key programs established or under construction;
150 state-level key labs and specialized labs; a batch of
engineering research centers under construction. Important
outcomes have been achieved in basic, applied and hi-tech
research programs undertaken by these colleges and
universities. Of the award-winning natural science projects
in China, some 50% were completed in these colleges and
universities. Of the award-winning philosophy and social
science programs completed in the "Eighth
Five-Year-Plan" period, nearly 60% were led or
implemented by these colleges and
universities.
Adult
Education
Adult education comprises of
schooling education, anti-illiteracy education and other
programs oriented to adult groups.
China's
adult education has evolved rapidly since the Liberation. Up
to 1999, there were 871 colleges and universities destined
to adult education and some 800 correspondence-based and
evening adult education programs launched by common
colleges, offering 1,157,700 seats to those pursuing junior
college and bachelor programs, and granting diploma to
888,200 people.
Of adult education schools
targeted to farmers in 1998, there were 421 secondary
technical schools with an enrollment of 200,200; 4,229
middle schools with an enrollment of 439,200; 454,924
technical schools that have provided training to more than
80 million people, or 12.2% of rural labor force. Adult
education destined to peasants has made significant
contribution to rural development by bringing up a large
amount of primary and medium-level technical persons--up to
present, more than 200 million farmers have received
training in these education
institutions.
Higher education examination
program for self-taught has walked onto a track of rapid
development. In 1998, there were 224 disciplines launched
under this program. Up to the first half of 2000,
accumulated registration for such examination has reached
104.04 million; more than 2.9 million people have got their
junior college and bachelor degree, 401,500 people passed
the secondary technical eligibility examinations under this
program.
In 1998, some 134,200 anti-illiteracy
schools (classes) were launched nationwide, bringing
benefits to 3,208,900 illiterate persons.
III.
International Communication and
Cooperation
Since 1978 when China inaugurated
the opening and reform initiative, international
communication and cooperation in the education sector has
migrated onto a new stage cheering healthy development of
abroad studying, increasing number of foreigners studying in
China, and expanding cross-border academic communication.
International communication and cooperation has brought us
with beneficial reference, impelled education reform and
development in China and enhanced the mutual understanding
and friendship between China and other
countries.
In more than two decades since 1979,
China sent some 320,000 students to more than 100 countries
and regions, hosted 340,000 students from more than 160
countries and regions; dispatched out 1,800 teachers and
experts, appointed 40,000 foreign experts and teachers.
Number of Chinese experts and academicians once involved in
international conferences held abroad and that of foreign
experts and academicians once presenting at international
academic symposiums held in China both amounted to
11,000.
In 1996 only, China sent out more than
10,000 students to nearly 100 countries and regions and
entertained nearly 33,000 international students from 160
countries and regions. In order to help partner countries to
bring up culture-indifferent sci-tech and translation
professionals, China configured teachers for Chinese
language programs launched in more than 30 countries, and
gave mission orders to more than 5,000 experts destined to
short-term teaching programs launched in different
countries. On the other hand, colleges and universities in
the country extended appointment letters to some 3,760
foreign-originated experts and teachers. In the year,
colleges and universities directly under the Ministry of
Education approved 2,099 application cases for involvement
in some 1,316 international academic symposiums held abroad.
Nearly 140 international academic symposiums and seminars
hosted by colleges and universities in China welcomed in
some 5,000 participants from foreign countries. Nearly 130
study groups visited China...
Fresh progress
has been made in foreign-oriented education aid program,
embodied in the migration from facility construction to
program launching, which has enhanced the school running
capability of the beneficiary countries, winning high praise
from the beneficiary governments.
In more than
two decades, China has made sound achievements in bilateral
and multilateral education cooperation, which has got
educational aid from UNESCO, UNIECF, UNFPA, UNDP, World Bank
and many other international organizations, including loan
of US$14.7 billion from World Bank for the education
development program, and aid of more than USD100 million
from other organizations.
In recent years, Hong
Kong, Macao and Taiwan have increased education aid to
Mainland China, the educational communication and
cooperation between both sides has been expanded
steadily.
IV. Conclusion
As a
whole, education in China, the most populous country with
extremely unbalanced economic and culture development, is
still an under-cultivated land. Proportion of graduates from
primary, junior and senior middle schools entering schools
of higher levels is an important index reflecting
educational level of a nation. According to the 1%
Demographic Survey conducted in 1995, among every 100,000
people, 2,065 completed degree programs; 8,282 graduated
from high schools; 27,283 with an education level of junior
middle school. To accommodate the socio-economic development
and satisfy the young's desire for higher level education,
Chinese education sector still has a long way to
cover.
Flying development of science and
technology worldwide, as well as intensifying competition in
economic and technological fields have addressed a tough
challenge to education. Those who frontline the education
will have a louder saying in the international competition
in the 21st century. Chinese government, regarding education
as a strategic priority, promulgated the China Agenda for
Education Reform and Development, advancing the global
object for China's education development by the end of 20th
Century, which is read: by year 2000, popularizing K9
compulsory education nationwide, basically eliminating
illiteracy among young and middle-aged population,
intensively supporting 100 universities and a batch of key
subjects (Program 211), giving adequate support toward
occupational and polytechnic education and adult education
bound for a great prospect.
Realizing such an
agenda is an extremely formidable task, which requires
countrywide efforts in increasing education funds, improving
schooling conditions, boosting teaching competence and
strengthening education administration. We have adequate
reasons to expect an educational framework compatible with
Chinese conditions and oriented to the next
millennium.
|
|
|
| Suggest To A Friend |
Print |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
