Background on Chinese Education

The Chinese government currently mandates nine years of compulsory education. This includes grades 1-6 in elementary school and 7-9 in middle school, all of which are tuition-free. Students begin first grade at age 6 or 7, depending on their location. High school runs from grade 10 to 12, but is not compulsory and therefore does not have the full support of the government and is not free to students. The school year for all schools in China begins on September 1, regardless of level or location (a few possible exceptions in the countryside due to crop seasons). School runs for approximately 9.5 months with a winter break during January and February and a summer break during July and August. Since the Communist takeover in 1949, the Chinese government has placed enormous stress on mathematics and natural sciences, trying to achieve its goal of a modern China. This has led to Chinese students excelling far beyond their Western peers, but has also brought about criticisms that China’s teaching method is based only on rote memorization while suppressing critical thinking. After elementary school, middle school, and high school there are entrance exams to the next level of schooling. The National Higher Education Entrance Examination (or ?? (Gao Kao) for short)), which occurs at the end of high school, is likely the most important. It determines which college a student is allowed to attend, which in turn likely determines the quality of the student’s post-graduate job. Thus, there is great pressure to get into a good school so that one can receive good education to pass these tests. However, the country’s high quality schools tend to be located in the cities, while the majority of the population lives in the countryside. It is these countryside schools that I am analyzing.