Education in China
Education system in China comprises of nine years of compulsory education followed by higher education in universities which is optional. The chief administrative authority overseeing education in China is the State Education Commission (SEC). It has the sole responsibility to formulate as well as enforce all sorts of educational policies and laws. Mostly, it is the institutions of higher education that directly come under its influence whereas primary and secondary schools are governed and managed by the local governments.
It is administrated by China's Ministry of Education which ensures the 6 years of primary education free of cost. It is followed by middle schooling that lasts for three years and then three more years of high school, which was also free till 1985. Since education up till middle school doesn't cost much, the attendance as per the Ministry of China's records is 99% for primary and 80% for middle and primary level combined. Another category is of Adult Education which is optional but highly encouraged.
After mid 70s the main focus of all the modernization and advancement was on the economic sector of the country. The education system in china started to improve in 1984, when a plan was devised to have laws formulated specially for the education system. The next year a law known as the Law of Compulsory Education was enforced whereby primary and secondary education in China was made compulsory thus leading to the establishment of State Education Commission. After that the funds for education rose by 72 percent as compared to the funds raised in previous years.
Adult education comprises of adult primary, adult secondary and adult higher education. These are made possible through various specialized educational institutes like Workers' Primary Schools, specialized secondary schools and colleges for workers and peasants, radio/TV universities, in-service teacher training schools, cadre institutes, etc.
As the 21st century rolled on, the Chinese government further introduced reforms and goals for the improvement of its education system. The goal is to elevate the number of students enrolling in universities for higher education, so that china can have more professionally trained graduates. Standards of universities in the country have also been raised greatly in order to attract more and more local as well as international students. All these reforms have not only raised the standard of education in China, but have also made a huge impact on the literacy rate of the country.