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.