How does the school year start in China? The education system in China: description, development
Today, the Chinese are increasingly occupying leading positions in science, culture and art. The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire leave no chance for Europeans brought up in hothouse conditions. This is because education in China is ten hours a day. Every day and all year.
Illiteracy defeated
The UNESCO report "Education for All" notes that by 2003, China came out on top in terms of the scale of development of education. Started in 1985, the education reform has produced tangible results. A number of legislative acts of the government contributed to the mandatory literacy education of all residents, the development of higher education, an increase in the number of foreign professors in universities and the influx of students from other countries. So, from the 80s, compulsory primary education was introduced, in the 90s, nine-year education became compulsory.
One of the main indicators of the effectiveness of the fight against illiteracy is the percentage of women aged 15 to 24 who do not even have a primary education. In China, it is 4%. Compare with India, where it is 44%, and in rather Europeanized Turkey - 8%.
The percentage of illiterate adults in China today is about 4%. And back in the 50s of our century, 80% of the Chinese were illiterate. Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are 99% literate in China.
The growth of education is the key to success
Another indicator indicating that the level of education in China is growing at a rapid pace is the number of specialists with higher education per 100,000 people. 20 years ago, this figure was 600 graduates for every 100,000 people. The Ministry of Education of the Celestial Empire plans to reach the figure of 13.5 thousand specialists by 2020.
In 1949, there were 205 higher education institutions in China. Today there are about 2 thousand of them with the number of students in 20 million people.
Education system in China
The structure of obtaining knowledge in China does not differ from most European ones. It includes the following steps:
- Preschool (children from 3 to 5 years old).
- Primary school and lower secondary (6+3, 5+4 or 9-year systems).
- Secondary school (three years of study).
- Secondary specialized education (2 years after high school, or 4 years after incomplete secondary).
- Graduate School.
The education system in China today provides for nine years of compulsory education (lower secondary level). Further, graduates either receive a special education, or become university students. Or they stop further training. 
Before school
Pre-school education in China is a network of public or private institutions. The country's legislation is aimed at supporting the private sector in this area of education. The Ministry of Education has approved a unified program of preschool education. But if in state structures the priority is the preparation of children for school and labor education, then private preschool institutions specialize in aesthetic, cultural and personality-oriented education.
In general, the day of a Chinese preschooler is similar to the same day of a Russian child. The distinctive features of the educational process that characterizes education in China before school can be considered the following:
- Morning in kindergarten is flag raising time. Love and pride for the country is cultivated from preschool age.
- Education to work consists of the fact that at educational institutions there are gardens where preschoolers learn to grow vegetables. And sometimes they even cook them.
- Even children's games are subject to strict discipline. Free time is a time of idleness, and this simply does not exist in China.
Strict discipline combined with control that does not allow the child to even think that he is special is often criticized. But for the Chinese, the rule “what is good for the state is good for the person” is an unshakable rule. 
Most kindergartens are open until six in the evening, but there are those where children can stay around the clock.
Primary school and junior high
This section of training is required. It is paid by the state. Primary school takes 6 years of study, and secondary - 3. The program includes the study of Chinese (in-depth), mathematics, history, natural history, geography, music. The variable part is ethics, morality and the legal part. Evaluation is carried out in the form of tests, according to a 100-point system.
Mandatory is the practice when children work several hours a week at mini-enterprises or farms.
Idleness is considered unacceptable here. The load on children is huge, homework is required. Even during the holidays, children do homework, which is quite voluminous.
The discipline is very strict, the gates of the school are only opened to let the children in and out. A common school uniform is provided for students of each school. Absence from classes without an important reason - expulsion.
Interesting! In schools, the morning begins with exercises and a line with the obligatory raising of the flag. Daily exercises are also provided, and in the middle of the educational process - gymnastics for the eyes using acupuncture methods. After lunch, which lasts an hour, 5 minutes are provided for sleep. 
High School and Vocational Education in China
After high school, if the child chooses a certain direction and the family's finances allow, you can continue to study for 3 years in high school.
There are two types of high schools:
- Academic. These are specialized schools, the main task of which is to prepare the student for entering the university in the chosen direction.
- Vocational. Here they train workers for certain types of work.
It is possible to enroll in a vocational school after graduating from an academic high school. Then the child will have to study less in it - two years instead of three. 
You can enter a university only after graduating from high school. At the same time, the points that a student will receive at a single final exam determine the hierarchy of the future university, because they do not pass exams upon admission - everything is determined by the high school score.
Higher education in China
In 64 countries of the world, diplomas obtained in Chinese universities are recognized. Russia is among them.
All top-level institutions have their own hierarchy, established in a single rating. The high school graduate's unified examination score determines which institution he can enter - the "highest level" or the provincial level. The admission of an applicant is a holiday for the whole family, even if the child has entered paid education. State scholarships and subsidies from customer enterprises are expected for students, which often bear the cost of training specialists.
China Higher School is:
- Colleges with a two-year (intermediate certificate) and a four-year (bachelor's degree) program.
- Higher educational institutions (bachelor, master, doctor of science), usually with a narrow specialization. Specialists are trained in 820 specialties.
Education is conducted in English or Chinese by choice. The system of the educational process is semester with winter and summer holidays. 
For gifted Chinese, winners of national competitions and olympiads, as well as for children from low-income families, there are budget places, but there are very few of them, and the competition is very high.
The system of higher education in China won international prestige a long time ago. In scientific universities, the Chinese are represented quite widely in America, Australia and Europe. About 20,000 Chinese graduate from postgraduate and doctoral studies outside of China every year.
The most popular universities in China
According to the QS ranking (2017), 4 Chinese institutions in the top 100 universities in the world: Peking University, Shanghai Jao Tong University, Fundan and Qingau Universities. And in some disciplines (engineering and information technology, chemistry, and others), Chinese universities lead the world rankings. For example, the Shanghai University of Transport Communications (Jiaotong) leads in the position of engineering technology.
Nine leading universities in China entered the educational project called "Group K-9". This group is comparable to the well-known "Ivy League" in America. Research and development costs in this group are fully funded by the state, which is 10% of the annual budget! In addition to the four ranking universities already mentioned, the Chinese Ivy League includes Nanjing, Zheng Universities, China University of Science and Technology (Beijing), Xian Jiaotong University (Beijing), Harbin Institute of Science and Technology.
In terms of citation of articles and the number of patents for inventions, China is in third place, after America and Japan. But with such state support, which ensures the rapid growth of education and science, the likelihood of an increase in China's rating is quite high. 
Education in China for Russian students
Studying in China is not such an unattainable goal as it seems. There are many educational programs and agreements between universities in Russia and China. A system of student exchange has been developed and, of course, for those who are already students, it is easier to get to study in China.
For graduates who want to get into the universities of the Middle Kingdom, a school leaving document will not be enough. In addition, upon admission, you will need to pass the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi language exam. Most major universities set their own additional rules, such as additional testing or age limit.
In any case, preparation for admission implies an individual selection of a university and careful preparation of documents according to the requirements of a particular educational institution. 
Outcome
The whole world has long been "covered by the eastern boom." The study of Japanese and Chinese is growing steadily. An increasing number of young people are interested in the history and traditions of the countries of the East. Our neighbor - the largest country in Asia - is increasing its influence in various spheres of the life of the world community. The breakthrough in the economy and the victory over illiteracy make us think about the exceptional features of education in China as a component of the success of the Celestial Empire.
Despite the fact that China is the birthplace of famous philosophers and great inventions, the low level of education of the population for many centuries has been a global problem for the country, slowing down the pace of its development. Until the proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, 80% of the population was illiterate, to the point that people could not read and write.
The new government faced the task of minimizing this percentage, so the authorities began to pay great attention to the development of the education system in the country. Thanks to numerous reforms and an increase in the general standard of living, by 2008 the percentage of the illiterate population had decreased to 3.58%, which indicates an effective policy in this area.
Education system in China
According to the PRC constitution, every citizen has the right to receive a nine-year compulsory education, and laws are issued every year to guarantee the realization of this right among vulnerable segments of the population, such as representatives of minorities, children, women, and people with disabilities. Education in China is a public system administered by the PRC Ministry of Education. The modern education system in China consists of 4 levels: primary, junior (junior), secondary and higher.
Primary Education (Chinese Schools)
Primary education in China is compulsory, studying at school for 6 years. Children start going to school at the age of 6-7 years. Education is conducted in the generally accepted Chinese dialect of Putonghua, with the exception of those schools where children from minority groups study, in which case the teachers speak the local dialect. The standard academic year is divided into two semesters, classes last from September to July, 5 days a week. The list of required items includes:
- Chinese,
- Mathematics,
- Social science,
- Nature,
- ideological education,
- Physical culture, music,
- Painting,
- Work.
A foreign language is usually an elective course. In order to complete this stage, all students must pass an examination in Chinese language and mathematics.
Secondary education
Junior (preparatory) secondary education lasts 3 years and ends with a mandatory nine-year (6 + 3) education. At this stage, chemistry, physics, a foreign language and political science are added to the list of subjects studied. Upon completion of training, you need to pass the standards of physical fitness and get satisfactory marks in all exams.
Students who choose to pursue their secondary education in China can continue their general academic studies through high school or go to a vocational school or college to gain the necessary skills for their future jobs. During their studies in high school, students are preparing to pass the final state exams, an analogue of the Unified State Examination in Russia, according to the results of which they will enter universities.
Higher education
You can get higher education in China by enrolling in any higher educational institution, regardless of their form of organization or specialization. Enrollment in a university is carried out on the basis of the results of the state final exam or additional tests conducted by a separate university.
Students with outstanding academic achievement in high school may be recommended for admission by local authorities without taking exams. Recently, private universities are gaining popularity, which accept students for paid education without any entrance exams. The cost of education in private universities is much higher than in public ones. In large cities, the cost of a year of study can reach up to a million rubles.
Despite the fact that only 9 classes are compulsory, all students continue their education and prepare very diligently for entering universities, since higher education is a necessary requirement for further employment. China is a densely populated country, so there is serious competition among applicants, as everyone understands that quality education is the key to a successful future.
Being Chinese is not easy at all. When there are more than one and a half billion of you in a country without social guarantees, you have to work hard to find a place in the sun. But Chinese children are ready for this - their hard work starts from the first grade.
At one time, I worked as an English teacher in four Chinese schools (and as a trainer at a kung fu school). Therefore, it is very interesting to compare Russian education and the characteristics of schools in the Middle Kingdom.
Children in their school uniform - tracksuits - attend an Earth Day class in Liaocheng, April 2016.
Many schools in China do not have heating, so teachers and students do not take off their coats in winter. Central heating is available exclusively in the north of the country. In the center and south of China, buildings are designed for a warm climate. This means that in winter, when the temperature can drop to zero, and sometimes even lower, air conditioners are the only means of heating. The school uniform is a sports suit: wide trousers and a jacket. The cut is almost the same everywhere, only the colors of the suit and the school emblem on the chest differ. All school grounds are limited by large iron gates, which are always kept closed, opening only so that students can go out.
In Chinese schools, they do exercises every day (and not just one) and hold a general line. The morning at school begins with exercises, then a ruler, on which they report the main news and raise the flag - school or state. After the third lesson, all children do eye relaxation exercises. To soothing music and the voice of the announcer in the recording, students click on special points. In addition to morning exercises, there is daytime exercises - at about two o'clock in the afternoon, when, under the same inexorable speaker, schoolchildren pour out into the corridor in a single impulse (if there is not enough space in the classrooms), begin to raise their hands to the sides and up and jump.
Chinese schoolchildren from the city of Jinan do exercises on the roof.
A big break, also known as a lunch break, usually lasts an hour. During this time, children have time to go to the canteen (if there is no canteen at the school, they are brought food in special trays-boxes), have lunch, and also run, stretch their legs, scream and play pranks. Teachers in all schools are fed lunch for free. And the food, I must say, is very good. Lunch traditionally consists of one meat and two vegetable dishes, rice and soup. In expensive schools, they also give fruit and yogurt. People in China love to eat, and even at school, traditions are observed. After the lunch break, some elementary schools are given five minutes "to sleep." By the way, a couple of times my students fell asleep in the middle of the lesson, and the poor things had to be woken up with a bleeding heart.
A variant of a modest school lunch by Chinese standards: eggs with tomatoes, tofu, cauliflower with pepper, rice.
The teachers are very respectful. They are referred to by their last names with the prefix "teacher", such as Master Zhang or Master Xiang. Or just "teacher". In one school, the students, whether mine or not, bowed to me when they met me.
In many schools, physical punishment is the order of the day. The teacher can hit the student with his hand or pointer for some offense. The farther from the big cities and the simpler the school, the more common it is. My Chinese friend told me that they were given a certain amount of time at school to learn English words. And for every unlearned word they were beaten with a stick.
Break during traditional drumming lessons, Ansai city.
The student's performance rating hangs in the classroom, which encourages students to study better. Grades are from A to F, where A is the highest, corresponds to 90-100%, and F is unsatisfactory 59%. Rewarding good behavior is an important part of the educational system. For example, for a correct answer or exemplary behavior in a lesson, a student receives an asterisk of a certain color or additional points. Points and stars are removed for talking in class or misconduct. The progress of schoolchildren is reflected on a special chart on the board. Competition, so to speak, is obvious.
Chinese children study for more than 10 hours every day. Lessons usually last from eight in the morning until three or four in the afternoon, after which the children go home and do endless homework until nine or ten in the evening. On weekends, schoolchildren from big cities always have some additional classes with tutors, they go to music, art schools and sports clubs. In view of the highest competition on children from childhood, there is pressure from their parents. If they fail to do well in the exam after elementary school (compulsory education in China takes 12-13 years), then they are barred from going to university.
On September 1, first-graders of the Confucius School in Nanjing take part in the ceremony of writing the character "ren" ("man"), which begins their education.
Schools are divided into public and private. Tuition in private schools can reach up to a thousand dollars a month. Their level of education is many times higher. Particular importance is attached to the study of a foreign language. Two or three English lessons a day, and by the fifth or sixth grade, students in elite schools are already fluent in English. However, for example, in Shanghai there is a special state program, paid by the government, under which foreign teachers teach in ordinary, public schools.
The education system is based on rote memorization. Children simply memorize a huge amount of material. Teachers demand automatic playback, not particularly caring about how understandable the learned material is. But now alternative learning systems are gaining more and more popularity: Montessori or Waldorf, aimed at developing children's creative abilities. Of course, such schools are private, education in them is expensive and accessible to a very small number of people.
Children from poor families who do not want to learn or are too rebellious (according to their parents) are often taken away from the mainstream school and sent to kung fu schools. There they live full board, train from morning till night and, if they're lucky, receive a basic primary education: they must be able to read and write, which, given the Chinese language system, is very difficult. In such institutions, physical punishment is in the order of things.
Classes in the school of kung fu.
Teachers beat students with a stick-sword or, without further ado, they can kick or give a crack. But at the end, parents get a disciplined young man with the profession of a kung fu coach and at least some chance to break into people. Most of the famous kung fu masters went through just such a school of life. It is also quite common for children with poor health to be sent here for a year or two so that they strengthen it by living and practicing kung fu or tai chi.
Regardless of where Chinese children study - in a kung fu school or a regular one, they learn three main qualities from childhood: the ability to work, discipline and respect for elders and hierarchy.
They are taught from childhood that they must be the best, no matter what. Perhaps that is why the Chinese are now beginning to take a leading position in all branches of science, culture and art. Competing with Europeans who grew up in more greenhouse conditions, they often do not leave them a chance. Simply because we are not used to studying for ten hours in a row. Every day. All year round.
The main result of the reform of the education system carried out in China is the availability of education for the entire population. Today, almost 99% of children in China attend school. Until 1949, education was inaccessible to the majority, and the illiterate population reached 80%.
preschool
The system of preschool education in China is represented by public and private institutions. The Government of the People's Republic of China strongly encourages the development of private preschool organizations. Despite the existence of a common program for educating the younger generation, there are some differences in the process of teaching children in public and private kindergartens.
In public institutions, education is more focused on preparing children for school and introducing them to work, while in private institutions, the focus is on the aesthetic and cultural development of children.
Every day begins with the raising of the national flag, as the Chinese people are proud of their country and strive to instill in the younger generation love and respect for the motherland from early childhood.
The school day in Chinese organizations of preschool education is scheduled almost by the minute. Leisure time in China is equated with idleness. Close attention is paid to personal hygiene and neatness. Educators strictly ensure that the children wash their hands before eating, and after breakfast and lunch in some gardens, the children themselves clean the tables. Children are actively taught to work. They grow their own vegetables, and then learn to cook on their own from what they have grown.
The main difference between Chinese preschool education is the lack of desire to develop the child's individuality. On the contrary, educators do everything possible to prevent the little person from thinking that he is special.
Teachers completely control the behavior of children even during games. Everything is subject to the strictest discipline. Despite the criticism of this practice by other countries, the Chinese believe in its effectiveness, because they believe that what the state needs, children also need.
Basically, preschool institutions work until six in the evening, but there are also those where the child can be left overnight.
school
The school system in China consists of three levels: 
- primary;
- middle;
- senior.
A child spends 6 years in elementary grades, 3 years in middle and senior grades. The first two stages are obligatory and free, you have to pay for training at the final one.
The elementary school program includes:
- Chinese;
- mathematics;
- history;
- natural history;
- geography;
- music.
Occasionally there are additional lectures on morality and ethics. The program also includes an internship during which children work in various workshops or on farms.
The secondary school provides in-depth study of Chinese, mathematics and a foreign language (most often English). Children master the exact sciences, informatics, much attention is paid to political literacy.
The education system in China's schools involves a huge load, so the school day is divided into two parts. In the first half, the main subjects are studied, in the second - additional ones. Students spend almost all the holidays doing voluminous homework.
Discipline in schools is very strict. It is worth missing twelve classes without a good reason - and the student is expelled. All exams are in the form of tests, and knowledge is assessed on a 100-point scale. After graduating from high school, further education is optional. But if the child has a desire, and the financial capabilities of the parents allow, then you can go to high school.
Before continuing education, the student must choose the direction of study. There are two types of high schools in China:
- academic profile - they provide a deep study of the sciences and prepare students for universities;
- vocational-technical - in which cadres are raised to work in production.
Higher
In China, higher education is available after graduating from high school. The Government of the Republic annually allocates quite significant funds to improve 
level of education in universities. As a result of this policy, many Chinese universities are among the best on the planet, and their diplomas are recognized in 64 countries around the world.
The higher education system in China includes colleges, vocational high schools and universities.
The curriculum of colleges is of two types:
- two-year - training of mid-level specialists, at the end of the course the student receives a certificate;
- four-year - after training a bachelor's degree is issued.
The academic year in Chinese universities is divided into two semesters - spring and autumn. Winter holidays last from the end of January to February, summer holidays - 2 months (July and August).
For the most part, Chinese universities, unlike well-known universities in Europe and the United States, work in rather narrow areas - in archeology, agriculture, and pedagogy. In the programs of universities that train politicians and diplomats, a significant part of the time is devoted to the skills of public speaking and writing.
To attract foreign students, education in all universities of the Celestial Empire is held in two languages - Chinese and English. Those wishing to study in Chinese are offered special additional courses.
After graduating from universities in China, you can get a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree.
Benefits of Secondary Education in China
Secondary education in China today is deservedly considered the best in the world. It is enough to look at the results of the international PISA rating, which has been organized since 2000 and held by the OECD every 3 years. The rapidly increasing lead of Chinese students is more than impressive: in the year they scored 556 overall and 600 in math (493 and 496 on the OECD average), and in the year already 613 in math (494 on the OECD average). Such a Chinese "miracle" is explained by the wise policy of the Chinese government in the field of education and the extremely high degree of motivation of Chinese schoolchildren, who consider academic success today as a guarantee of a prosperous life in the future.
The Chinese government has set itself the goal of transforming the country from an agrarian semi-literate country into a super-tech power in 20 years, for which it adopted a plan to modernize the education system. This plan is based on the symbiosis of Western teaching methods and traditional Chinese, on the promotion of Chinese universities in world rankings, and is aimed at turning Chinese education from a recipient into a donor. This plan proved to be correct and very effective. If in 2001, according to the data of the Ministry of Education of China, the number of foreigners studying in Chinese universities was only 60 thousand people, then in 2012 it has grown to 328.3 thousand. At this pace, China will soon compete with the traditional leader in attracting foreign students - the United States (the number of foreign students is 764.5 thousand). By 2020, China should become the largest educational center in Asia, increasing the number of foreign students to 500,000. And he has already left Russia behind: 224 thousand foreign students, and if we take away those who came from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Abkhazia, then only 100 thousand will remain. Not surprisingly, significant government investments in education in China are quickly paying off: income from the sale of educational services has already reached $ 1 billion, which is 2 times more than Russia's income.
5. Matura is recognized worldwide and guarantees direct admission to Western universities.
6. excellent sports infrastructure and comfortable living conditions
7. Inexpensive compared to UK, Switzerland, USA and Canada prices
8. children find themselves in an environment of peers motivated to study
Boarding schools in China
| School name | City | Training program | Cost, EUR/year | Language of instruction | Notes | A photo | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Harrow International School Beijing |
English (ESL) |
6-12 grades |
 |
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|
Harrow International School Shanghai |
English (ESL) |
6-12 grades |
 |
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|
Beijing Huijia Private School |
English (ESL) |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Keystone Academy |
English (ESL) |
8-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Yew Chung Shanghai International School |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Canadian International School of Beijing |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School |
English |
 |
||||||
|
Canadian International School Kunshan |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Beijing Shuren Private School |
Guangzhou |
English |
6-12 grades |
 |
||||
|
Guangzhou Huamei International School |
suburb |
China |
Chinese |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||
|
Beijing New Talent Academy |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Beijing National Day School |
English |
6-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Guangdong Country Garden School |
beijiao |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
||||
|
Shanghai Gold Apple Bilingual School |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Fudan International School |
English |
7-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Beijing International Bilingual Academy |
English |
 |
||||||
|
Beijing No. 55 high school |
English |
6-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Beijing Concord College of Sino-Canada |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Beijing No. 04 High school |
Chinese |
 |
||||||
|
Dulwich College Suzhou |
Suzhou |
English (ESL) |
1-12 grades |
 |
||||
|
High School Affiliated To Nanjing Normal University |
Nanking |
English |
State. school at Nanjing Normal University (NSFZ) |
 |
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|
Shanghai Jin Cai High School |
English (ESL) |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Wellington College Shanghai |
English |
7-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Wellington College International Tianjin |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Wuxi United International School |
sidong |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
||||
|
Alcanta International College |
Guangzhou |
English |
9-12 grades |
 |
||||
|
Beijing Haidian International School |
English |
1-12 grades |
 |
|||||
|
Oxford International College of Chengdu |
Chengdu |
English |
9-12 grades |
 |
||||
|
Saint Paul American School |