Education in China's history

Education in China

Education has been valued highly by the Chinese people and government. It plays an important role in Chinese history, in people’s lives and in the social, economic development of the country.

Chinese civilization goes back to ancient times. Likewise, the history of education can be traced back to primitive times. The root of Chinese education came from the needs of social development and social life. In ancient times, education was regarded as an essential tool for the ruler to administer the empire and the people. Since the establishment of the People’s The Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese government placed education as a chief component to improving people’s overall well-being. It is seen as a way to enhance competitiveness in the process of economic development. With the advances in society and the general trend of globalization of the world, education in China has made significant changes.

Thanks to the policy of the central government about education, reform of the Chinese educational system has already started. The innovations in Chinese education have continued to evolve. In 2010, the Chinese educational conference convened successfully. This conference created a long-term direction and principle for the development of Chinese education until the year of 2020. Also, a flourishing atmosphere that supports education from the government’s perspective and the whole society makes an education career much more rewarding.

Education is more monitored than ever before both by the parents and the Chinese government after the state opened to the outside world. Also, competition among students becomes more heated each day. It is exciting that there are new kinds of expressions surfacing like “Chinese mother” and “tiger mother.” These illustrate the particular emphasis on our educational system in China. Why did this appear? Why did many other countries begin to study the phenomenon of Chinese education, especially basic education in China? Is the Chinese educational situation on the right track now? These remain our hot topics in the field at home and abroad.

This chapter is going to give a brief introduction to the history of education in China to help people understand the development of Chinese education and its mechanisms.

Chronologically, education in China is composed of two parts:

One covers education in the old times (before 1911), and the other includes education in modern times and contemporary times (after 1911). This chapter mainly focuses on education in ancient and contemporary times.

Ancient Chinese Education

The origin of the ancient Chinese Education System can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty (2027B. C. -1600B. C.). It was developed into a modern system during the late Qing Dynasty between the 1870s and 1890s. The school in ancient times can be divided into two parts: government-owned schools - organized by the government, and private schools - organized by retired officials and scholars at that (206 B. C. - 220) that the relatively mature government (618 - 907), for the first time, the entire system was established with two kinds of schools: central government-owned schools and local government-owned schools. Each played a significant role in education, research and cultural promotion.

Usually, some of the classical Confucian books were used as the textbooks at schools including The Five Classics which were composed of The Classic of Poetry, The Book of Document, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes, and The Spring and Autumn Annals. The others were The Four Books which are composed of: The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, Analects, and The Mencius.

Private Schools

After government-owned schools, private schools came into being during the Spring and Autumn Period (770B. C. - 476B. C.), when Confucius pioneered into the private school (Chen Fachun, Zheng Tiesheng, 2010)189. Private schools covered many aspects of scholarly learning. They were responsible for most of the elementary education thereby becoming an indispensable part of the feudal

Mencius (372 B. C. -289 B. C. ) a great educator after Confucius.

The education system (Chen Fachun, Zheng Tiesheng, 2010)189. They were more abundant in number and wider in their fields of study than government-owned schools. Therefore, they played a significant role at that time as the complementary parts to the government-owned schools. For curriculum design, not only were Confucian classical works taught at school but also Taoism, feudal laws, celestial phenomenon, and medicine were covered. They gained a reputation for providing children from ordinary families opportunities for education and in transmitting current knowledge and culture to many.

Classical Academies

Classical Academies were a special kind of ancient teaching and learning organizations, which first appeared in the Tang Dynasty (723 - 725), There was free and relaxing give-and-take atmosphere in classical academies. The emphasis of the study was on academy exchange among the different branches of learning and research. These academies served as places for storing and proofreading classics as well as self-study. It goes without saying that the classical academies had a profound influence on ancient Chinese education history, especially its educational approach, organization system, and teaching methods. The Classical Academies were always built in the mountains or the quiet places with beautiful scenery, such as Yingtian Academy, Songyang Academy, Bailudong Academy, and Yuelu Academy, most of which remain.

The Imperial Civil Exam System

The Imperial Civil Exam System lasted for 1,300 years (581 - 907). It became the final goal for students wanting a government position. It was the only way for them to fulfill their dreams of becoming officials. However, only a small percentage of people who performed excellently in the exam might get the opportunity to get a position in the government.

All in all, the Civil Examination System, which originated from an enriched the Chinese culture, was the fairest means to select qualified personnel for the government in feudal society. It gave middle-class and lower-class citizens chances to serve as government officials. Since the Tang Dynasty, most statemen, great thinkers, literary giants, and historians experienced social mobility upward through such exams and then made a significant contribution to the Chinese political institution, economic system, and cultural development. The system has not only influenced Chinese society but also continued to be used by other countries as an examination model.

Contemporary Education in China

In modern China, especially after the liberation in 1949, a period of reformation greatly transformed the educational system. There developed common education and special education, each kind divided into several stages. Primary education covers pre-school, primary, secondary, and tertiary education.

Children may go to kindergarten when they reach the age of three. Also, they can go to a nursery school if their parents cannot take care of them at home. In this case, there is no age requirement. China has two kinds of kindergartens: public and private. In recent years, kindergartens with unique features have developed rapidly, such as bilingual kindergartens or art ones. Usually, this period lasts up to 3 years when children can then enter primary school.

Children at the age of about 6 years old all have a chance to go to primary schools for six years and junior high school for three years without charge. This is called compulsory education. The government tries its best to support all school-age children by providing schools regardless of whether they are in the urban or rural areas, rich or poor areas. Many good policies have been formulated to help all students to complete their education.

The aim of primary education is the comprehensive development of the students’ moral virtue, intelligence, sports ability, aesthetics, and workability. Main courses for primary school students are Chinese, mathematics, a foreign language, physical education, fine art, music, information techniques and so on.

The entrance system for accepting students in junior high school is different in different cities. Each local government has the right to make a policy for this. Generally speaking, students may choose to study in any of the junior high schools in the zone of their house after they finish their studies in primary school. Meanwhile, exams may be held for students in the last year of primary school especially for the students who want to enter the key schools. The exams are challenging. All the parents hope their children succeed at the beginning of their education and enter the key high schools with an excellent educational environment. This kind of system is still to be reformed as the governments try to find a better way to alleviate burdens on the students and parents.

During junior high schools, the government advocates comprehensive development. The curriculum designed for the students is to develop their overall competence in integrity and workability. Students have a busy and happy learning life in this period. At the end of the junior high school study, students are given an entrance exam by the local governments. Exam results determine if they will have the opportunity either of continuing in an academic secondary school or of entering a vocational secondary school.

Senior high schools are the last stage of secondary education, but not compulsory. They are divided into several types: key schools of the country, key schools of the city, key schools of the district in a city, and ordinary schools. The goal of the senior high school study is mainly for the preparation of higher learning. Besides senior high schools, there are vocational schools for students who want to learn special techniques in certain fields of work. Vocational schools offer programs ranging from two to four years. The vocational schools aim to train intermediate technical personnel.

Senior high school students are at the beginning of their youth. They are full of dreams. Their school life is joyful but accompanied by hard-study. There are many kinds of spare time activities which allow them to enjoy their school life and practical competence in the field they have chosen. Of course, their primary task is to study, preparing for the National Entrance Exam to the university in the last year of high school.

In China in 2010, there were2,723 institutions of higher learning, among which 2,358 were developing rapidly according to the statistics of the Ministry of Education of China. The national or local governments control some of them. They are called public universities, which are the dominant kind in Chinese higher education. Also, there are private universities and corporative universities between a Chinese university and an international partner that complement the public ones. There are national, provincial and municipal key universities, but the 39 universities under Project 985② are regarded as the top tier, some 100 under Project 211 ③ are the second tier, and the rest are common institutions. Chinese universities follow a credit system. It normally takes four years for the students to complete the undergraduate period, two to three years to finish the master's degree and another three years of doctorate study.

The Chinese government is an advocate of quality-oriented education. There are many courses for the students to choose, such as required courses, elective courses, and open lectures. Besides, after-class group studies and seminars are held as complementary additions to the study. Also, the universities take advantage of the internet to offer students self-learning opportunities after class. This method not only enriches the students1 after-class study life but also enhances their ability

1.     MOE is the abbreviation of the Ministry of Education in China.

2.     Project 985 is a construction project for building world-class universities by the central government.

3.     Project 211 is a national project of strengthening about 100 universities for the 21st century.

In self-learning, critical thinking, and creative ability. There is something to be mentioned in that the universities provide scholarships and a rewarding system for the students who have done well at school. Likewise, they have a punishment system for the students who disobey the regulations of the university.

Normally, Chinese universities provide board and lodging on campus. Students are provided almost everything on campus. There are dining halls with different food styles to meet the varied tastes of the students from different provinces and ethnic groups. Students’ dormitories offer furniture to make a comfortable environment for students. Students’ administration departments are responsible for student’s affairs 24 hours to ensure the safety of the students on campus.

Students enjoy a full social life. There is military training, social practices, and activities of the Association of College Students. Usually at the beginning of the university life, to ensure the students have strong bodies, the ethics of hard work and a sense of team spirit, universities place the freshman in military training for two weeks or one month. This gives them the experience of the hard life and physical exercises. This, in turn, strengthens students’ willpower and their sense of perseverance.

Universities encourage and offer opportunities for students to participate in social practice in society. They even make use of vacations organizing some social practice activities such as going to rural areas to work with the farmers with the knowledge they learn at university or going to the former liberation areas to visit and talk to the local people. This allows students to learn the history and attempts to help students use what they learned to apply to society.

There are many kinds of associations organized by the students themselves. One such association is the student union, which is in charge of the after-class life of students and plays an important role in the university administration. Meanwhile, many kinds of associations like drama association, dancing, and singing groups, and so on have sprung up. These not only enrich their spare life but also promote young student's team-spirits and competence in every aspect.

During the graduation season, universities would offer help to the undergraduates preparing for their job hunting in the real world. Therefore, their education shifts to training students on how to apply for internships. In this way, teaching, research, and social application are integrated and, at the same time, the students* capacity in analyzing and solving problems will be improved. It does lay the basis for the students when they enter into society.

With the globalization of the world, the Chinese government has increased its cooperation with universities and academic institutions abroad. The numbers of Chinese students studying abroad and international students studying in China have increased greatly. Universities have many exchange programs in which Chinese students were sent abroad, and in return, foreign students may study in China. These exchange students learn knowledge, culture, and scientific research besides learning about life from each other. Furthermore, the “Chinese Bridge Project” has been established with the development of the Confucius Institute in other countries.

Special education is offered to the students who are mentally or physically disadvantaged. Special education includes special primary schools, middle schools, and vocational schools. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Education of China, there are 1,706 special education associations and 426,000 special education students at schools in 2010 (MOE, 2010). Students not only study academic knowledge but also learn how to deal with difficulties which may arise in their life. The government, Federation of Disabled Persons and other social organizations, manage different kinds of projects which offer financial help and opportunities for these students. These provide good study conditions and chances for them to find suitable jobs in the future. The students are independent, self- confident, dynamic, and trying their best to make great advances for their future.

Conclusion

Chinese education is at a crucial moment right now, facing the challenges of the rapid development of science and technology not only in China but around the world in the 21 st century. It is believed that Chinese education will make greater progress and become more beneficial to society. The effort of our people and the determination and policies of the Chinese government reflect this progress. They are described as follows:

Since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, especially since the reform and opening up, The government has made great efforts to ensure people’s right to education and facilitate equal access to education. Major progress has been made in this regard. Compulsory education has been universalized, and more children have access to senior high school education. Vocational education has developed steadily, and higher education has been popularized. More students are completing their studies with financial aids to ensure equal access to education (MOE, 2010).

In sum, the Chinese government will continue to strengthen quality-oriented education. Therefore, the future of Chinese education will be bright and Chinese education will play an essential role in the social and economic development of China.