Practical Information
Education
in China
by Robert
Sedgwick, Editor WENR
and Xiao Chen, WES Area Specialist
The
People's Republic of China is the world's most populous nation, with 1.2
billion people and more than 50 ethnic groups. About 80 percent live in
rural areas. The inland and plateau regions are far less developed than
the coastal regions, a fact that stymied the government's goal to universalize
primary education by 1990.
The current
education system is under control of the Ministry of Education, which
carries out educational reforms, sets guidelines and policies and oversees
the general development of the educational sector. However, local governments
play a crucial role in promoting basic (primary and secondary) education
while the central government mainly presides over higher education.
Since 1986,
with the promulgation of the Law of Compulsory Education, the government
has prioritized universal basic education. As a result, primary schooling
has become prevalent throughout much of China, although 5 percent of pupils
at this level continue to drop out well before graduation, mostly in rural
areas.
By 1985,
there were approximately 1 million schools, colleges and universities
in China with an enrollment of more than 200 million students. Government
expenditure on education that year amounted to 10 percent of the national
budget.
Between 1977
and 1987, close to 50,000 students were sent to 76 foreign countries for
higher education and research. During that year, for example, Nanjing
University sent 880 students abroad for long-term study and recruited
816 foreign students and scholars for programs lasting more than 12 months.
The academic
year, which begins in early September and ends in late June, is divided
into two semesters, although some schools are currently experimenting
with three terms.
Higher education,
including room and board, is free of charge for the majority of Chinese
students. However, students enrolled in non-degree programs pay their
own way to attend college.
PRIMARY
EDUCATION
Duration:
Six years
Curriculum:
Chinese, mathematics, music, physical education, English or other foreign
language, and (starting in grade five) chemistry, physics, and biology
Leaving
certificate: Certificate of graduation
SECONDARY
EDUCATION
Junior
Middle School
Duration:
Three years
Curriculum:
Chinese, mathematics, foreign language, history, politics, physics, physical
education, geography, hygiene, physiology chemistry, and biology
Senior
Middle School
I. Academic
schools concentrating on the humanities and sciences prepare students
for the National Entrance Examination to enter an institution of higher
education.
Duration:
Three years
Awarding
certificate: Certificate of graduation
II. Specialized
schools prepare students to enter the work force. They offer courses
in allied health, finance and economics, politics and law, agriculture
and forestry and physical education to prepare students for the job market.
Duration:
Three years
Awarding
certificate: Certificate of graduation
III. Technical,
vocational and agricultural senior middle schools offer programs in
engineering, agriculture, forestry, medicine, finance, textiles, tailoring,
telecommunications and electronics. Approximately 40 percent of all senior
middle school students attend these institutions.
Duration:
Two to four years
Awarding
certificate: Certificate of graduation
HIGHER
EDUCATION
According
to the 2000 edition of Chinese Universities and Colleges (CEAIE), China
has 1,034 institutions of higher education, which are officially recognized
by the Ministry of Education. These are divided into several categories:
comprehensive universities, teacher education schools, specialized universities
and technical institutes. Of these, 619 are four-year colleges and universities
and 415 are two-year colleges.
In addition,
China has an extensive adult-education system. Institutions that come
under this category include universities for workers and staff, radio
and television universities, correspondence schools, night schools and
self-study programs (students enrolled in self-study programs take exams
course by course, and when all required courses are passed, university
diplomas are awarded).
To enhance
the quality of teaching and scientific research, the government selected
96 schools in 1981 as "key universities." These institutions
are considered centers of academic excellence that enjoy superior research
facilities and staff. Key universities are under the direct jurisdiction
of the Ministry of Education and are obliged to accept students nationally
as well as locally. The following 10 institutions are among the key universities:
Beijing University
Tsinghua University
Chinese People's University
Fu Dan University
Jiaotong University
in Shanghai
Jiaotong University in Xian
Nankai University
Nanjing
University
Beijing Teacher's University
Beijing Medical University
ACCESS
AND ADMISSION
Admission
to all institutions of higher education (university and nonuniversity)
requires a passing score on the highly competitive National Entrance Examination,
administered by the Ministry of Education. The exam has been held each
July, but starting in 2003, it will be held in early April.
UNIVERSITY
HIGHER EDUCATION
The degree
system in China was introduced in 1980 to offer short-term, postsecondary
education to meet the needs for the growing work force. Bachelor's degrees
were first awarded in early 1982. During the Cultural Revolution, from
1966 to 1976, academic programs were three years in length and included
a period of manual labor. Formal exams were not held during this time
and only certificates and diplomas were awarded to graduating students.
Programs
and Degrees
Stage
1: The first degree is generally awarded after four years of full-time
study, and after five to six years for medicine, dentistry and at some
universities for architecture and engineering. Students who successfully
complete all undergraduate requirements are awarded two qualifications:
the Certificate of Degree and the Certificate of Graduation.
Those who do not pass all requirements (e.g. fail courses or the National
English Examination) or enroll in non-degree programs only receive the
Certificate of Graduation; no degree certificate is awarded.
*NOTE: From
1982 to 1984, graduating students were awarded a separate degree certificate
and graduation certificate. However, between 1984 and 1993 both certificates
were combined into a single booklet called the "Graduation Certificate."
In 1993, the degree certificate and graduation certificate were separated
again.
From 1994
to 2000, all graduation certificates were printed by the Ministry of Education
but awarded by individual institutions. Starting inn 2000, universities
and colleges began issuing their own qualifications, which must be registered
and available for checking on the Web.
A Second Bachelor's Degree is awarded in a separate discipline
and requires an additional two years of full-time study. The second bachelor's
degree can be awarded concurrently with the first, or it may be awarded
after the first degree.
Stage
2: Master-level programs are offered by degree-granting universities
and institutes and by research institutes. Applicants must possess a bachelor-level
degree, be 35 years old or younger and pass an entrance exam. Coursework
for this qualification usually takes two to three years to complete. Each
student begins work on a thesis during his or her final year. An oral
exam is also required after the thesis' approval. Students who successfully
complete both coursework and thesis are awarded a Master's Degree,
while those who only finish the coursework portion of the program receive
a Postgraduate Certificate of Graduation.
Stage
3: The Doctoral Degree is offered at degree-granting universities,
institutes and research institutes. Generally, candidates must hold a
master's degree and be 40 years of age or younger. Applicants who have
not undertaken studies at the master's level may be required to take an
entrance exam. Programs usually take a minimum of three years after the
master's, or four to five years after the bachelor's degree. Required
coursework includes advanced courses in a specialized area and mastery
of two foreign languages. The preparation and defense of a dissertation
are also required.
NONTRADITIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION
This category
includes evening schools, radio and television universities, continuing
education programs, employee colleges and several recently established
private institutions of higher education. In the late 1970s, short-term
undergraduate diplomas were introduced to meet the demands of a labor
force geared toward economic development. These institutions also offer
long-term, nonbachelor-degree programs that last four to five years.
Duration:
Two to three years (short-term); four to five years (long-term)
Awarding
certificate: Certificate of graduation (diploma)
Programs:
management, service industries (fashion design, tourism, advertising),
finance and economic law, liberal arts, secretarial training, law, teacher
education, farming and forestry, medicine and health care, engineering,
and technology
TEACHER
EDUCATION
Senior
middle school: teachers are trained at a teacher's university and
must complete a four-year bachelor's degree.
Junior
middle school: teachers complete a two- to three-year diploma program
at a teacher's college and sometimes at a four-year teacher's university.
Primary
school: teachers are trained at a two-year college or secondary teacher's
school.
WES
GRADING SCALE
| Scale |
Score |
Rating
|
U.S.
Grade Equivalents
|
| 85-100 |
5
|
Excellent
|
A
|
| 75-84 |
4
|
Good
|
B
|
| 60-74 |
3
|
Average/Fair
|
C
|
| 0-59 |
2
|
Fail
|
F
|
Useful
Sites
Chinese Ministry of Education (in
Chinese only)
China Education and Research
Network Information Center (CERNIC)
A list of universities
in China that have their own Web pages
A Remarkable Move of Restructuring:
Chinese Higher Education
General Introduction
to Chinese Higher Education
Chinese
Higher Education Reconsidered from the U.S. Experience
Additional
Sources
1) Country
Education Profiles: China. National Office of Overseas Recognition.
Australia, 1991.
2) The
International Encyclopedia of Education, Second Edition. Edited by
Torsten Husen, T. Neville Postlethwaite. United Kingdom, 1994.
3) Handbook
of World Education. Walter Wickremasinghe. United States, 1991.
E-mail
your comments to the editor.
The WENR staff welcomes your feedback
regarding this article or the newsletter in general.
|
