Chinese Education Briefing
25 Aug 2008
The present education system was formed in the years between 1977 and 1980, in order to serve the country’s social and economic needs under the reform policies of the Deng Xiaoping government. Basic education consists of 12 years, divided over 6 years of primary education and 6 years of secondary education. Compulsory education has a duration of 9 years, i.e. 6 years of primary education plus 3 years of junior middle school. All education is conducted in standard or Mandarin Chinese (“Putonghua”), except in a few designated “autonomous regions”. The academic year consists of two semesters of approximately 20 weeks: September until January and February until June. Chinese education is generally considered very competitive. Admission to all levels of education from senior middle schools to doctoral/PhD.-programs takes place on the basis of performance in admission examinations. The most (in)famous of these is no doubt the National Entrance Examination for Higher Education(gaokao), which determines who gets access to higher education.
l Pre-school education, for children between the ages of 3 and 6.
l Primary education (xiaoxue), six years in length (Grade 1-6), for children between 6 and 12.
l Secondary education (zhongxue). Chinese secondary schools are divided into junior and senior levels. Junior middle schools offer three-year junior secondary education (chuzhong), which students usually begin at the age of twelve. Regular senior middle schools usually last another three years in senior secondary education (gaozhong) and prepare students for further and higher education.[1] Upon completion of junior middle school, pupils may also enter professionally oriented senior vocational & technical training (zhongzhuan) schools, which prepare them for skilled jobs in the labour market.
l Higher Education, the higher education system consists of four levels: higher professional and technical education, 2 to 3 years leading to a (non degree, dazhuan) college diploma; undergraduate education, 4 years, usually leading to a Bachelor degree; graduate education, 2 to 3 years, leading to a Master degree; doctoral education, minimum 3 years, leading to a PhD degree.
[1] China.com, Basic Education in China, (2004), http://english.china.com/zh_cn/education/educational_system/11020788/20040831/11856747.html