The growth of education in China

Today's China is much different from the China of half-a-century ago, as many of the old customs and traditions are updated in response to the challenges of the 21st century. One of the far-reaching changes since the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, is in education, which, for centuries, had seen little change or improvement.

Historically, education in China was the preserve of the wealthy and privileged male. Girls were seldom educated, and only the very rich or titled, who lived in cities, saw any schooling with the exception of child-rearing and homemaking skills. But there were many universities and institutions of higher learning for the emperor, his staff and colleagues, the wealthy male, the very upper class and the like.

China is such a vast and varied country, but schools in the deep rural areas were few and far between, so the majority of children were tutored by village school teachers - private teachers who had to be paid. Some family members were teachers also. All teachers were very highly regarded and respected by children and adults alike, holding a special place in the community.

This ancient form of learning was confined to reading, calligraphy (writing) and reciting the classics. However, those who were bright enough or wealthy were able to reach university level. The study was intense and courses included Chinese history; geography, including that of other countries, particularly, Africa, India, South America, Australia and the East; Chinese classic literature; and poetry.

Major changes

For centuries, changes to the system were minor. Major change did not occur until the 1950s.

Education was then made available to many more persons, because their socio-economic status was changed. The lower classes now had access to basics such as regular food. Public schools were being established with health and emergency medicine subjects offered. The years 1960 to 1980 saw great improvements. This continued to the year 2000, and today, China has a vast and varied education system.

There are pre-schools (kindergarten) for blind, deaf and other handicapped children. There is primary and middle school, and a host of vocational schools at the secondary level, including special secondary schools for teachers, technical students, engineering architecture and all the building skills.

In 1985, the National Conference on Education implemented further changes and reform in the system, placing emphasis on basic education. However, the most far-reaching of all these new policies was compulsory education for the first nine years after kindergarten. In addition, local vocational schools were established, making vocational training accessible to everyone.

The Ministry of Education was given the responsibility for the entire education system of China, with the exception of military training, with the job of making the compulsory years of education available to the entire population.

The system now consists of kindergarten, primary, and post-primary, at which the subjects taught are Chinese languages, mathematics, physical education, music and drawing. In high schools, the emphasis is on Chinese history, geography, morals, and advanced English, which became compulsory in primary schools 15 years ago. French, Spanish, Portuguese and German are also being studied in many schools.

There are now many foreigners in China from countries all over the world - including Jamaica - studying and teaching languages, and many Chinese students studying in schools and universities all over the world. In Jamaica, Chinese language is being taught at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Scholarships are now available.

All these changes have been introduced in the last half-century, as China moved from being a closed society to a more open, modern system.

China is making great strides in its education policy. However, there is one rule with which China would not find favour in many countries in the West, as regular school hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Some schools go on even later, for many more hours, and there are no holiday breaks which last more than a week at a time.

No doubt, China has benefited from examining the systems in other countries. It might be well for other countries to look critically at this aspect of China. Who knows the benefits they could gain?

This article is courtesy of the Jamaica-China Friendship Association of Jamaica.