China has the largest education system in the world, with over 9 million students taking the National Higher Education Entrance Examination annually. Education accounts for about 4% of China's GDP. Confucianism has had a significant influence on China's education system throughout history. Education was originally only available to elites but expanded over time. Today, China has a compulsory 9-year education system and over 20% of college-age students attend higher education. The education system includes kindergarten, primary, secondary, vocational, and university levels.

1. 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.

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. China's Educational System
Generally , education in China can be divided into the following stages:
1, Pre-schooleducation 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.

6. 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.

7. 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 schoolis
known as and vocational senior secondary schoolis 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.

8. 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.

9. 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-Scale
Grade Scale Grade Description US 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.

10. 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/525/2008-310/30093@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