Modern education

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China’s modern educational system offers preschool, basic education, higher education, vocational education, and adult education, as well as a gradually evolving system of long-distance education. Basic education consists of nine years of compulsory education(six years of elementary school and three years of junior high school), plus an additional three years of senior high school. The nine-year compulsory educational curriculum includes Chinese language, mathematics, foreign languages, ideology and ethics, history, geography, physics, chemistry, biology, social studies, physical education, music, fine arts, natural science, and computers. The additional three-year senior high school curriculum builds on the nine years of compulsory education. After completing their basic education, students are eligible to par ticipate in the national college entrance exam. Those whose test results make the grade are given the opportunity to pursue a higher education. Every year, colleges and universities also accept a certain number of students with outstanding achievements in various areas, such as literature, arts, and sports, outside of the national testing system.

China’s system of higher education has undergone ongoing reforms in recent years. Many institutes of higher learning have differentiated their curricula into required and elective courses, and instituted a system of class credit-hours. Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs have been established, as well as post-doctorate programs. In 1995, the Chinese government initiated”Project 211,”aimed at strengthening a number of universities and key disciplines and training a new generation of specialists for the 2 1st century. China’s higher educational system has produced significant developments in science and technology.A number of universities have approached or achieved advanced international levels in various disciplines and high-technology fields. Possessing superior educators, as well as high-quality undergraduate programs, they have established the conditions to enter the ranks of the world’s leading universities.

By the end of 2009, China has dispatched a total of approximately 1,620,007 exchange students of various types to study abroad. Of this total,497,400 have completed their studies and returned to China. More than 230,000 foreign exchange students have come to China tostudy in 2009. Numerous Chinese universities have implemented exchange programs with famous foreign universities through both government and private channels, exchanged visiting scholars and professors, and conducted international academic conferences and symposia in a wide range of areas.

China’s vocational and adult educational systems include both government-sponsored and privately run schools, which offer both basic and higher education. In addition to the traditional classroom system,a number of alternative methods of study are available, includ ing”schools on the air,”with classes broadcast via television and radio, correspondence courses, and Internet classes. In order to meet the demands of social and economic development, vocational and adult education offers advanced training in numerous specialties, producing qualified professionals in a wide range of fields.