International Education Guide - China - Enterprise and Advanced ...

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INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GUIDE FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATION FROM CHINA
Students take mostly compulsory courses in the first year
and a combination of compulsory and elective courses in
the next two years. The second semester of the third year
may be used exclusively for final review in preparation for
the National College Entrance Examination. To qualify for
graduation, students must obtain a minimum of 144 credits,
including 116 credits for compulsory courses and at least six
credits for school-designed courses (elective credits II).
Since 2004 Guangdong Province has abolished the
provincial senior secondary graduation examination,
with individual schools solely responsible for granting
graduation to their students.
Adoption of the experimental curriculum has resulted in
related changes. The provinces involved also plan to adjust
their NCEE standards to the experimental curriculum.
In 2007 the new NCEE standards will be applied to the
first batch of senior secondary graduates taught under the
experimental curriculum.
Higher Education
Students usually enter higher education ( 高 等 教 育 )
after completing senior secondary school and passing the
National College Entrance Examination, although some
five-year higher vocational programs admit junior secondary
graduates. While entry into colleges and universities has
traditionally been very competitive, higher education has
developed rapidly in recent years. China currently has
the world’s largest higher education system, with over
20 million students enrolled in various post-secondary
programs in 2004 (Ministry of Education, 2005).
administration
The Education Law of 1995 and the Higher Education
Law of 1998 govern higher education in China. The State
Council ( 国 务 院 ) and its educational branch, the Ministry
of Education ( 教 育 部 )—which was renamed the State
Education Commission ( 国 家 教 育 委 员 会 ) from 1985
to 1998—formulate policies and guidelines and plan for
development and reform at the national level. The Ministry
of Education and a few other central ministries (such as
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) administer and supervise
a number of institutions that recruit and train students for
the whole country.
Educational authorities in the provinces and major cities
are in charge of institutions that mainly train personnel
for specific regions. The Ministry of Education approves
the establishment (as well as mergers and name changes)
of both public and private higher education institutions,
although provincial governments may be authorized to
approve institutions offering only zhuanke programs.
There are also a number of private institutions that
operate legitimately in China but are not authorized to
award recognized higher education qualifications. Such
institutions have to be approved by local governments (at or
above the county level) and registered with the Ministry of
Education or the provincial educational authorities.
The Ministry of Education website (available in both
Chinese and English) provides an updated list of recognized
higher education institutions.
Table 25. Chinese Higher Education Statistics, 2003
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) 2,110
Organizations offering graduate programs 720**
Total enrolment
19 million
Full-time faculty 810,000
Ministry of Education, 2004
Note: **This includes HEIs and research institutes.