Chinese Education Sytems
Education
levels vary between countries around the world. Basically, people in
underdeveloped and undeveloped countries do not have access to quality
education or education at all. Those in developed nations have higher literacy
rates and at least a basic high school education.
According to the Global Partnership for
Education, education plays a key role in human, social, and economic
development. Education is considered to be a human right and plays a key role
in humanity, social, and economic development. Education promotes gender equality,
promotes peace, and increases a person’s chances of having more opportunities
in life
The Chinese education system is divided into
three years of kindergarten, six years of primary school, and three to six
years of secondary education, often followed by several years of higher
education. Kindergartens and primary schools are usually run by local education
authorities or even private enterprises. Since 1986, people in China have had
the right to a minimum of nine years of education, six years in primary school
and three years in secondary school.
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 (chuzhong 初中) 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.
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 school is known as
(gaozhong 高中) and vocational senior
secondary school is known as (zhongzhuan 中专) 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 (zhongkao 中考) 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 (gaokao 高考) 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 (专科) level, which requires 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 本科"
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.
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 保送). 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.
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