Case Study:Education in China

OutlineI. Context and Issues

A. Country Overview

B. Main Challenges: inequality + exam-oriented

II.Current Policies and Policy Recommendations

I.Context and Issues1.Country Overview

Education sector of China has been gradually increasing year by year.

Gross enrolment ratio

Secondary education: increased to over 95% in 2013 in whole China

Tertiary education is over 30%, increasing 60% over the course of 10 years from 2004 to 2014.

45 million students in total of secondary and primary school.

More than 11 million teachers in around 300,000 primary and secondary schools in 2014

Source: UNESCO

I.Context and Issues2. Education system of China

Students can choose whether to continue upper secondary school after 9 years compulsory education of primary school and lower secondary school.

Upper secondary school is divided into general school and vocational one.

In order to enter upper secondary school and tertiary education, entrance examination has to be taken.

Students experience too frequent examinations and need high grades to enroll higher education (Exam-oriented Education).

System

I.Context and Issues3. Paradox of Achievement in PISA

Shanghai achieved the highest score in PISA 2012.

But it never reflects the situation of China as a whole.

The situation of rural area is far behind. There is large inequality between rural/ urban.

This presentation shows what the inequality of education is like and how to solve it

Results of PISA 2012

Source: OECD

I.Context and Issues - Challenges

1.Inequality across regions

2.Too exam-oriented

How to study the regions?UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI) as a way to classify the provincial administrative regions (except Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan):

Tier 1: HDI > 0.75: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin

Tier 2: 0.70 < HDI > 0.75: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Guangdong, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Jilin, Fujian, Heilongjiang

Tier 3: 0.65 < HDI < 0.70: Hubei, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Chongqing, Hunan, Hainan, Henan, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Guangxi

Tier 4: HDI < 0.65: Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan, Guizhou, Tibet

Inequality between urban and rural areas:A comparison between Beijing and Qinghai - in terms of education attainment

Source: State Statistical Bureau, China Statistical Yearbook 2015

When we also take gender into account:

Source: State Statistical Bureau, China Statistical Yearbook 2015

Inequality between urban and rural areas:In terms of student-teacher ratio

Source: State Statistical Bureau, China Statistical Yearbook 2015

Inequality between urban and rural areas:A Comparison of Budgetary Government Appropriated Funds for Education per School Student

Inequality across different regions: access to key universities

Easy mode:Beijing, Tianjin,Shanghai

“Hell mode”:Tibet, Sichuan

Source: EDU Sina

Detrimental Effects of Hukou System on Education

Hukou system consolidates inequality Children with rural Hukou have to go the school that

is in the area where they are registered, even if their parents move to urban area to work

If children want to change their Hukou to the urban Hukou, there is a highly competitive selection

But otherwise children living urban area with rural Hukou cannot attain enough education

Source: Wu, X. 2011. The Household Registration System and Rural-Urban Educational Inequality in Contemporary China.

Exam-Oriented SystemAdmission Exams

Certification Exams: Hui Kao (similar to France’s baccalauréat or Germany’s Abitur).

初考Chu Kao

中考Zhong Kao

高考Gao Kao

Core Reason: the highly-competitive selection mechanism of university entrance

Why is it so important? Because it is the key to social mobility!How fierce is the competition?

“Top 2”: Peking University & Tsinghua University

In 2009, when Fangzhou entered PKU:National PKU admission rate: 0.0263% (2,761 from 10,500,000)Henan (most populated province) PKU admission rate: 0.0102%

Henan admission rate to key universities in 2009: 3.52% (33,766 from 959,000)

How does senior high school life look like?6:30: Get up (Bugle Call)7:05: Latest time to leave the dorm7:20-7:40: Morning Reading (Chinese/English)7.40-9:10: Class 1, 29:10-9:40: Morning Exercises/Taichi/Break9:40-12:00: Class 3,4,512:00-14:00: Lunch Break14:00-16:20: Class 6,7,816:30-17:30: Self Study/Sports Time17:30-19:00: Dinner Break19:00-20:45: Evening Self Study 1,222:30: Lights-out (1st and 2nd year student)22:00-23:00: Evening Self Study (3rd year students)23:30: Lights-out

ProblemsPressure: 500 primary and middle school students commit suicide per

year“High scores, low ability”: The story of Zhang Konggu

2003, admitted to PKU → 2004, ordered to quit due to internet addiction and failure in all his compulsory classes→2005, admitted to THU with highest score in his area→2006, ordered to quit for the same reason

When inequality meets exam-oriented system:High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, Beijing

200 elective coursesForeign language courses in

10 languages other than English

More than 60 extracurricular activities every year

Students have alternatives other than Gao Kao, e.g. study abroad

Hengshui High School: military-like “super high school”--86% of the total spots that PKU and THU have in the whole province of HebeiBUT…

5:40 Get UpNo long hair allowed for girlsNo snacks allowed other

than a few listedCollective jogging time

VS

CURRENT POLICIES ● Infrastructure building : The Rural Primary and Secondary Schools

Dilapidated Building Renovation Project in Central and Western China, the Rural Primary and Secondary Boarding Schools Project, and Comprehensive Improvement of the Basic School Conditions for Schools at Poor and Underdeveloped Areas.

● Attracting more teachers : Special Teaching Post Plan for Rural Schools and the Free Pre-Service Teacher Education Program

● Universal quality teaching : Beijing Digital School (2012)● Curriculum Change : Curriculum Reform Outline (2001)

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

Increase Education Budget

Build Partnerships between schools

Change Exam-oriented system

Adopt a Unified Curriculum

1.Increase Budget in rural areas

Source: China’s Education System, OECD 2015

2. Partnerships among schools and universities

Creation of partnerships between urban and rural primary and secondary schools, following the Shanghai model

The common fund should be allocated to build partnerships

Exchange between top performers and low performers

4 actors: 2 schools, government officials and external body

Partnerships between rural and urban universities to relieve the pressure for students

3. Change the Exam-Oriented System

Reform the Gaokao system

3. Change the Exam-Oriented System

Reform the Gaokao system Gap Year/Semester Well-rounded university selection processPolicy Implication: Strong leadership and efficient communication

4. Unified Curriculum through the use of ICT

Challenge: Unified VS Customized curriculum?

Strengthen digital platform “Beijing Digital School” (e-library, MOOCs, chat options, etc.)

Communication on new resources

Financial and Technical Investments

Policy implications:

Internet access

ICT capacity-building for teachers

谢谢！