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Case study : Education in China
- 1. Case Study: Education in China
- 2. Outline I. Context and Issues A. Country Overview B. Main Challenges: inequality + exam-oriented I. Current Policies and Policy Recommendations
- 3. I.Context and Issues 1. Country Overview Education sector of China has been gradually increasing year by year. Gross enrolment ratio Secondary education: increased to over 95% in 2013 in whole China Tertiary education is over 30%, increasing 60% over the course of 10 years from 2004 to 2014. 45 million students in total of secondary and primary school. Source: UNESCO
- 4. I.Context and Issues 2. Education system of China Students can choose whether to continue upper secondary school after 9 years compulsory education of primary school and lower secondary school. Upper secondary school is divided into general school and vocational one. In order to enter upper secondary school and tertiary education, entrance examination has to be taken. Students experience too frequent examinations and need high grades to enroll higher education (Exam-oriented System
- 5. I.Context and Issues 3. Paradox of Achievement in PISA Shanghai achieved the highest score in PISA 2012. But it never reflects the situation of China as a whole. The situation of rural area is far behind. There is large inequality between rural/ urban. This presentation shows what the inequality of education is like and how to solve it Results of PISA 2012 Source: OECD
- 6. I.Context and Issues - Challenges 1. Inequality across regions 1. Too exam-oriented
- 7. How to study the regions? UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI) as a way to classify the provincial administrative regions (except Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan): Tier 1: HDI > 0.75: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin Tier 2: 0.70 < HDI > 0.75: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Guangdong, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Jilin, Fujian, Heilongjiang Tier 3: 0.65 < HDI < 0.70: Hubei, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Chongqing, Hunan, Hainan, Henan, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Guangxi Tier 4: HDI < 0.65: Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan, Guizhou, Tibet
- 9. Inequality between urban and rural areas: A comparison between Beijing and Qinghai - in terms of education attainment Source: State Statistical Bureau, China Statistical Yearbook 2015
- 10. When we also take gender into account: Source: State Statistical Bureau, China Statistical Yearbook 2015
- 11. Inequality between urban and rural areas: In terms of student-teacher ratio Source: State Statistical Bureau, China Statistical Yearbook 2015
- 12. Inequality between urban and rural areas: A Comparison of Budgetary Government Appropriated Funds for Education per School Student
- 13. Inequality across different regions: access to key universities Easy mode: Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai “Hell mode”: Tibet, Sichuan Source: EDU Sina
- 14. Detrimental Effects of Hukou System on Education Hukou system consolidates inequality Children with rural Hukou have to go the school that is in the area where they are registered, even if their parents move to urban area to work If children want to change their Hukou to the urban Hukou, there is a highly competitive selection But otherwise children living urban area with rural Hukou cannot attain enough education Source: Wu, X. 2011. The Household Registration System and Rural-Urban Educational Inequality in Contemporary China.
- 15. Exam-Oriented System Admission Exams Certification Exams: Hui Kao (similar to France’s baccalauréat or Germany’s Abitur). 初考 Chu Kao 中考 Zhong Kao 高考 Gao Kao
- 16. Core Reason: the highly-competitive selection mechanism of university entrance Why is it so important? Because it is the key to social mobility! How fierce is the competition? “Top 2”: Peking University & Tsinghua University In 2009, when Fangzhou entered PKU: National PKU admission rate: 0.0263% (2,761 from 10,500,000) Henan (most populated province) PKU admission rate: 0.0102% Henan admission rate to key universities in 2009: 3.52% (33,766 from 959,000)
- 17. How does senior high school life look like? 6:30: Get up (Bugle Call) 7:05: Latest time to leave the dorm 7:20-7:40: Morning Reading (Chinese/English) 7.40-9:10: Class 1, 2 9:10-9:40: Morning Exercises/Taichi/Break 9:40-12:00: Class 3,4,5 12:00-14:00: Lunch Break 14:00-16:20: Class 6,7,8 16:30-17:30: Self Study/Sports Time 17:30-19:00: Dinner Break 19:00-20:45: Evening Self Study 1,2 22:30: Lights-out (1st and 2nd year student) 22:00-23:00: Evening Self Study (3rd year students) 23:30: Lights-out
- 18. Problems Pressure: 500 primary and middle school students commit suicide per year “High scores, low ability”: The story of Zhang Konggu 2003, admitted to PKU → 2004, ordered to quit due to internet addiction and failure in all his compulsory classes →2005, admitted to THU with highest score in his area →2006, ordered to quit for the same reason
- 19. When inequality meets exam-oriented system: High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, Beijing 200 elective courses Foreign language courses in 10 languages other than English More than 60 extracurricular activities every year Students have alternatives other than Gao Kao, e.g. study abroad Hengshui High School: military- like “super high school” --86% of the total spots that PKU and THU have in the whole province of Hebei BUT… 5:40 Get Up No long hair allowed for girls No snacks allowed other than a few listed Collective jogging time VS
- 20. CURRENT POLICIES ● Infrastructure building : The Rural Primary and Secondary Schools Dilapidated Building Renovation Project in Central and Western China, the Rural Primary and Secondary Boarding Schools Project, and Comprehensive Improvement of the Basic School Conditions for Schools at Poor and Underdeveloped Areas. ● Attracting more teachers : Special Teaching Post Plan for Rural Schools and the Free Pre-Service Teacher Education Program ● Universal quality teaching : Beijing Digital School (2012) ● Curriculum Change : Curriculum Reform Outline (2001)
- 21. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Increase Education Budget Build Partnerships between schools Change Exam-oriented system Adopt a Unified Curriculum
- 22. 1. Increase Budget in rural areas Source: China’s Education System, OECD 2015
- 23. 2. Partnerships among schools and universities Creation of partnerships between urban and rural primary and secondary schools, following the Shanghai model The common fund should be allocated to build partnerships Exchange between top performers and low performers 4 actors: 2 schools, government officials and external body Partnerships between rural and urban universities to relieve the pressure for students
- 24. 3. Change the Exam-Oriented System Reform the Gaokao system
- 25. 3. Change the Exam-Oriented System Reform the Gaokao system Gap Year/Semester Well-rounded university selection process Policy Implication: Strong leadership and efficient communication
- 26. 4. Unified Curriculum through the use of ICT Challenge: Unified VS Customized curriculum? Strengthen digital platform “Beijing Digital School” (e-library, MOOCs, chat options, etc.) Communication on new resources Financial and Technical Investments Policy implications: Internet access ICT capacity-building for teachers
- 27. 谢谢！
Editor's Notes
- @Toyo = education has been improving or educational sector has been increasing? Info supports larger proportion, not quality
- Take out “students experience too frequent examinations” and just mention it during class presentation → or else too many info getting lost→(Toyo) Yes I will try to focus on saying like “too frequent examination is highly stressful for students. But without obtaining good result, they could not enrol good university. We will talk about exam-oriented education in relation with inequality later.”
- In provinces that are less developed like Qinghai, the gender effect on education attainment can be more devastating.
- Parameter: Senior Secondary School
- Note that bc of favorable Gao Kao policies towards ethnic minorities, things are not so bad for provinces like Ningxia or Qinghai. But generally speaking, it is still very unequal Why: bc key universities are so unevenly distributed, and they all have favorable admission for locals.
- For Chinese students, the aim of learning focuses solely on passing exams. The competition starts as early as primary school. Test scores of Chu Kao (lower secondary school entrance examination), Zhong Kao (senior high school entrance examination) and Gao Kao completely decide a student’s future, together with the easier Hui Kao (Graduation Certification Examination, similar to France’s baccalauréat or Germany’s Abitur).
- The core reason for such a system lies in the selection mechanism of university entrance. The university entrance is so important, because it is a key to social mobility: it is the easiest and most common way to change one’s Hukou status, from rural areas or small cities to big cities, and would therefore shape the lives of the students themselves as well as their families. For most of the Chinese students, grades are the only evaluation standard, and the competition is very fierce. In year 2009, the year in which our group member Fangzhou entered Peking University, one of the top 2 universities in China, the national admission rate of PKU is only 0.0263% (2761 candidates selected against a pool of 10,500,000 participants in Gao Kao). In Henan Province, the most populated province in China, such a rate is as low as 0.0102%, and the admission rate for key universities in Henan that year is only 3.52% (33,766 candidates selected against 959,000 participants).
- Teachers teach about test content every day, to make sure that students know how to solve problems in exams; students have to deal with tons of homework as well. A normal school day for a senior high school student is usually 14 hours, including 2-3 hours of self study time dedicated to homework. It is also common for schools to hold extra classes for students on Saturday, especially when Gao Kao is approaching. On average, each class has 3 or 4 tests per subject, allowing for few, if any, extracurricular activities or hobbies on account of the high volume of daily homework assignments. When Fangzhou prepared for Hui Kao in her second year of high school, for a whole semester, every Saturday was dedicated to exams on Physics, Chemistry and Biology, one after one from 7:30AM to 12:30PM.
- The exam-oriented system has resulted in many problems. Such a system mixed with the family’s expectations for their children to succeed creates a climate of tremendous pressure for Chinese students. Although it is difficult to accurately compile suicide statistics for preliminary and middle school students in China, in 2014, National Health and Family Planning Commission of China announced that about 500 primary and middle school students commit suicide each year under academic pressure brought about by the examination-based education system. The system also leads to the so-called “high scores, low ability” symptom among students. The story of Zhang Konggu is an extreme case: in 2003, he was admitted to Peking University, but had to quit one year later because of addiction to internet and failure in all his 7 compulsory classes. Then in 2005, he was admitted to Tsinghua University, the other university of the “top 2”, with highest score in Gao Kao in his area, and because of the same reason - getting addicted to internet, he had to quit again after one year. The student was reported to have a very childish character, and could not manage anything other than taking exams. His story reflects how the exam-oriented system actually hinders students’ all-round development.
- Inequality across regions and exam-oriented education system in China together results in very extreme contrast. In privileged schools, in privileged region, e.g. the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, students are granted with more resources and the opportunity to develop themselves comprehensively: 200 elective courses available, foreign language courses in 10 languages other than English offered, more than 60 extracurricular activities every year; whereas students in less-privileged areas have to learn as machines for Gao Kao in so-called military-like “super high school”, e.g. Hengshui High School-The school had 96 students admitted by the “top 2” universities in China, namely PKU and THU, occupying 86% of the total spots that the 2 universities had in the whole Hebei Province; but students’ life is not colourful at all, or even miserable: no long hair for girls allowed, no snacks allowed other than a few listed, collective jogging time...The “super high schools” may well produce successful stories for Gao Kao, but such a phenomenon is not beneficial at all for education, security, or humanity.
- @Manon - maybe too much info- we could alternatively just leave things in bold and present 1-4
- @Manon - put other policy recommendations up
- @Manon = too much info/not easily readable - highly suggest to take off at least one/potentially both graphs and just put up some facts on number increase
- flexibility to study subjects of interest to have exams more spread (not all at the end and to take exams multiple times) to enter university with selected major - not according to quota and then select major - 38 year old college entrance exam - In 2015, pilote experiences to change Gaokao system in Shaghai and Zhejiang provinces - In 2009, Gaokao’s reform in Zhejiang allowed students to take exams up to twice and at chosen times - Added flexibility - Reform = eliminate difference between subject streams – humanities and sciences - University admission process – matchmaking between students and majors - What’s NEW= - 1. CONTENT CHANGE - Increased diversity of students’ interests, knowledge and skills - More forward looking selection of concentrations according to personal interests and strengths - 2. SCHEDULE CHANGE – When and how often tests are changed - 3. PROCESS CHANGE – Students are considered as long as have taken one of the electives announced by the program/university - (before =student’s admissions depended on university’s quota for each tier of admissions in each province - Challenge = Gaokao dominance in China’s university admissions process - Transformative change
- Reform Gaokao System Semester abroad and Gap Year - time off for maturity gain and self-discovery (possibility to pass Gaokao system after Gap Year - like in England) Well-rounded university selection process (like England or USA - reference letter, motivation letter and results) Policy Implication → Strong leadership and efficient communication (strong leadership required to endorse university selection change, implement semester abroad, and also explain why it’s ok if PISA exam results decrease = ability to face internal and external criticisms - better to get good scores and good skills, rather than extreme of high scores and low skills)
- Challenge: Unify curriculum China is a wide, highly populated and diverse country → need a unified curriculum Creative, interactive, student-centered curriculum → customized curriculum Resolve challenge through use of ICT and the consolidation of the digital platform Beijing Digital School = would enable students to have common base throughout the country, access to course content from best teachers in Beijing for example, but also high quality books and more engaging and interactive content; students would also have larger sample to choose from, during for example gap semester or year, and teachers could benefit from a teachers network through the regular and video chat options - if had contact with top teacher during management session, could keep in touch. Of course, student -teacher relations would also improve - with chat options and quicker feedback on material for teachers. Benefits of ICT: facilitate knowledge transfer, ideas’ exchange and build common base of understanding Through: E-resources (e-books, MOOCS), Communication (chat options, skype calls) Can build a more creative, interactive and student-suited curriculum Financial and technical investment 2 conditions: Internet access and teachers’ ICT skills - imagine workshop, going to top management’s school