1

Universalizing Nine-Year Compulsory Education for Rural Human Resourc

es Development--China’s Experience

Presented byPresented by

Zhang Tiedao Zhang Tiedao

Beijing Academy of Educational SciencesBeijing Academy of Educational Sciences

P.R. China P.R. China

Apr. 8, 2004Apr. 8, 2004

2

By the end of 20By the end of 20thth century, China has achieved century, China has achieved

its national dual goal for basically its national dual goal for basically

universalizing nine-year compulsory education universalizing nine-year compulsory education

and eliminating illiteracy among youths and and eliminating illiteracy among youths and

adults. adults.

3

1. Background

2. Implementation Strategies

3.Achievements and Impact

4. Lessens Learned

5. Problems and Countermeasures

4

I. Background

1. Status of Basic Education in the 1980s:

Early 1980s: National average years of schooling less than 5.

Enrolment at primary level (1985): 133.7 million ( 95.9% of the cohort).

Total enrollment of lower secondary schools (1985): 39.6 million, (36.76% of the cohort).

5

2. New demand for human resources rising from the successful rural economic system operated at household, in place of the commune system

Farmers’ basic learning needs was stimulated with their

expectations for further learning of new agro-technologies for more productive use of lad resources

Reemployment from traditional labor-intensive farming to more skill-based economic engagement either in rural and urban communities

Rapid urbanization and surplus of rural labor i.e. rural-urban migration

I. Background

6

3. National goal for 9-year compulsory education and adult literacy by 2000

85% coverage in populated areas nationwide

Enrollment rate: 85% at lower secondary level, 99% at

primary level

I. Background

7

1. Decentralization of funding system

Shared responsibility among governments and the

rural community (since 1985)

Regulated funding system primarily at county level

（ since 2001）

II. Implementation Strategies

8

2. Establishment of judiciary arrangement

Law for Compulsory Education of P. R. China （ 1986 ）

Measures on Enforcing the Law for Compulsory

Education （ 1992 ）

Regulations for education inspection

Local regulations for field implementation

II. Implementation Strategies

9

3. Increase of government special projects

  Title Duration Investment (RMB)

Compulsory education project for poor areas

1995-2000 12.46 billion

2001-2005 7.25 billion

State-subsidized stipend for students from poor families

1997 130 million/year

2001-2005 100 million/year

Special aid for free textbooks 2001-2003 700 million/year

Allowances for teachers’ salaries Since 2001 5 billion/year

Reconstruction of dilapidated buildings

2001-2003 3 billion

2003-2005 6 billion

Distance education program for rural schools

2003-2007 9 billion

II. Implementation Strategies

10

4. Extensive mobilization of resources from the community and other donors During the 1996-2000 period, 31 billion RMB Yuan was donated to rural compulsory education programme by the community including overseas contributions.

The Project of Hope raised 2 billion RMB Yuan for construction o

f 8,300 new schools in rural villages, which attracted 2.3 million d

ropout children back to schools.

Spring Bud Project has raised 500 million RMB Yuan which assi

sted 1.3 million girls from poor rural and ethnic families to access

schooling and built over 200 “Spring Bud Schools” for 14 years.

II. Implementation Strategies

11

5. Developmental project aided by international agencies

World Bank Unicef UNDP UNESCO DFID

II. Implementation Strategies

12

6. Inspection and accreditation system Frequency—Once a year

Indicators—government funding, changes with enrollment, retention and achievement, qualification of teachers

Process: self-evaluation, field inspection, random-selected re-evaluation, rewarding/punishment

II. Implementation Strategies

13

7.Improvement of Quality of Compulsory Educa

tion

To promote curriculum and pedagogical renewal at

rural primary and secondary schools

To strengthen teacher and principal training

To implement distance education programme in poor

areas

II. Implementation Strategies

14

Ⅲ. Achievements and Impact

1. Considerable increase in universalization of rural compulsory education provision

1990-2000年每10万人口受小学和初中教育的人口数量

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

全国 城市 农村

人口

19902000

Figure 1: Number of population receiving NYCE out of every 100,000 people in 1990 and 2000

15

2. Positive changes in teachers’ qualification

27. 5

46. 5

69. 1

87 90. 28

60. 6

73. 9

88. 996. 9 97. 39

0102030405060708090

100

1985年 1990年 1995年 2000年 2002年

小学初中

Ⅲ. Achievements and Impact

Figure 2: Changes with Primary and Secondary School

Teachers Nationwide

16Figure 3: Regional gap of enrollment rate at primary level

小学学龄儿童入学率地区差距示意图

46%

12. 74%0%

15%

30%

45%

60%

1991年 2002年年份

比例

3 、普及农村九年义务教育的成就与效益Ⅲ. Achievements and Impact

3. Reduction in Regional Disparity

17

Reduction of Disparity in Education Reduction of Gender Disparity

Ⅲ. Achievements and Impact

Figure 4: Enrollment Rate for Basic Education by Gender

18

Reduction of Ethnic Disparity

Ⅲ. Achievements and Impact

Figure 5: Gap between Enrolment rate of primary School-age children in Minority Areas and the National Average Enrollment Rate of Primary Education by Ethnic Minority

19

4. Increase of economic growth contributed by universal rural compulsory education

Upon universalizing primary education, with 1% incre

ase in entrance rate of school agers, per capita GDP

may grow by 0.36-0.59% annually.

Ⅲ. Achievements and Impact

20

5. Education for Increase of Peasants’ Income

Table 1: Relationship between Farmers’ Education and Incomes

Group Percentage of farmers with

lower secondary education or over （ % ）

Percentage of farmers with vocational training or education （ % ）

Highest income

56.9 8.6

Second high group

52.3 5.4

Medium income

47.7 4.3

Second low income

44.8 3.9

Lowest Lowest incomeincome

39.3 2.9

Ⅲ. Achievements and Impact

21

Table 2: Impact on the Agricultural Productivity and Poverty Reduction by Various Investment

Investments Impacts on the agricultural productivity

Impacts on poverty reduction

Agricultural R&D 7.97 (1)7.97 (1) 3.36 (3)3.36 (3)

Irrigation works 1.15 (6)1.15 (6) 0.39 (6)0.39 (6)

Road 4.91 (4)4.91 (4) 2.96 (4)2.96 (4)

Education 6.68 (2)6.68 (2) 6.30 (1)6.30 (1)

Electricity 3.90 (5)3.90 (5) 2.92 (5)2.92 (5)

Communications 5.29 (3)5.29 (3) 4.02 (2)4.02 (2)

6. Educational Investment stimulates productivity

growth and farmers’ income generation

Ⅲ. Achievements and Impact

22

7.Education Contributes to the Transference of Redundant Labourers in Rural Areas

Compulsory education is foundation and backup for tr

ansference of redundant labourers in rural areas

The transferring labourers have reached 23.85 million

in 2002, among which 62.7% have got the secondary e

ducation attainment, and youth and adults accounted

for the majority.

Ⅲ. Achievements and Impact

23

Governmental firm commitment and effective measure are reliable ensurance for

universal NYCE.

Different planning and implementing strategy for NYCE responsive to regional dev

elopment disparities in economy and education.

Readjustment of management and financing system based on contextual economi

c and financial system.

Special favorable policies for the disadvantaged have been adopted to promote th

e equity of education provision.

Establishment of long-term monitoring mechanism by strengthening inspection a

nd accreditation.

Ushering in international expertise and effectively utilizing overseas fundings

Ⅳ. Lessons Learned

24

Challenge with wide gap between rural and urban edu

cational status

Challenge with county-based funding and management s

ystem

Challenge with educational quality.

Ⅴ. Problems and Countermeasures

Problems

25

To make efforts to improve level and quality of universalizing NYCE

and lay groundwork for generally universalizing NYCE and upgrading

quality of compulsory education by 2010.

To establish the guarantee mechanism of compulsory education in

rural areas, implement compulsory education administration system

with county government as the main management body, strengthen

the obligation of central and province financial departments’

investment in the compulsory education in rural areas

To promote quality education through the experiment of the national

new curriculum and massive in-service teacher training programs

To initiate the national priority project on rural distance learning in all

rural schools for rural urban sharing of quality educational resources

and thus enhance quality of rural education provisions

Countermeasures

Countermeasures

26

To deepen rural education reform, promote rural vocational

and adult education with the strategy of “integration of basic

education, vocational education and adult education” and

“combination of agricultural production, technological

innovation and education development”.

To establish and improve stipend system to support students

from rural poor families to access compulsory education

To mobilize more extensive international cooperation in pursuit

of external support

Countermeasures

Countermeasures

Thanks!