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Education in the People’s Republic of

ChinaDuncan Hamshere –

UK NARIC

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Session Overview

• UK NARIC and China• Development of Education• The National Examination• Higher Education

– Normal System– Adult System

• Chinese Documentation

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UK NARIC and China

• Study visits– 2001– 2005– 2006

• Agreements• Publications

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China Publications

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The Provinces of China

• Population: 1.3 billion

• GDP ranked World’s 5th in 2005

• Land mass of 9.6 million SKM

• Language: Mandarin, other dialects (eg Cantonese) andminority languages (eg KoreanMongolian, Uighur)

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Development of the Present Education System

• The Influence of Soviet Ideology

• The Cultural Revolution and its aftermath

• The 1980 degree regulation and the establishment of the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council of China (ADCSC)

• The 1986 Compulsory Education Act

• The National College Entrance Examination System (NCEE)

• The government reshuffle and major structural changes to Higher Education Institutions

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Pre- and Post- 1998 Structural Reform of Higher Education

• Adjustment

• Co-operation between Public and Private Sector

• Joint Establishments

• Mergers

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Form of changes

• Change of administrative structure – 375 under new management

• Merger of institutions under central administration (MoE) – 72 ‘national’ HEIs

• Merger of institutions under local administration – 650 merged into 257 new HEIs

• Similar changes to adult learning and private (minban) institutions

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The National College Entrance Examination (NCEE)

The National Examination post 2003• Known as the 3 + X system (as opposed to the old 3+2 system)• Student now take English, Mathematics and Chinese as compulsory

subjects and generally two or three further subjects according to the area of specialization.

• There has been a shift in focus in the style of examination away from taught learning towards more interpretive questions.

• Compulsory subjects are scored out of 150 and the remaining subjects total a maximum of 300 points. Full mark is 750. (Hainan and Guangdong Province have a different grading system which is scored out of 900)

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Entry by groups of universities

Degree Level• The Pre-selection group for universities includes military and police

universities and arts, music, acting, design, minor language and certain sports courses.

• The first group of universities for the highest achieving students includes prestigious universities and prestigious courses in other HEIs.

• The second group includes non-prestigious universities• The third group includes fee paying/affiliating institutions.

Diploma Level• The fourth group is for those students taking sub-degree level

awards and higher vocational diplomas.

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2001 (Science/Arts) 2005 (Science/Arts)

Group 1 Group 2 Diploma Group 1 Group 2 Diploma

Beijing 488/454 443/429 360/360 470/486 414/443 324/373

Shanghai 522/497 473/473 387/401 469/480 418/439 283/262

Chongqing 548/549 494/487 430/430 548/549 494/487 430/430

Tianjin 508/500 458/456 400/336 458/498 408/460 389/443

Heilongjiang 528/511 467/454 402/380 582/556 527/501 489/469

Hainan(900)* 579/615 505/548 430/478 542/582 527/575 390/436

Guangdong(900)* 635/635 567/567 515/515 632 559 502

Shandong 607/580 529/508 499/478 597/572 565/547 517/507

Zhejiang 569/543 500/482 425/412 550/568 508/535 448/486

Xinjiang 486/468 436/436 364/364 507/516 433/455 350/290

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Chinese Higher Education Structure

Chinese Higher Education Structure Normal System Adult System

（普通） （成人）

Sub-degree Diploma

(Zhuanke 专科)

Sub-degree Diploma

(Zhuanke 专科)

Bachelor Degree

(Xueshi 学士/Benke 本科) Bachelor Degree

(Xueshi 学士/Benke 本科)

Master’s Degree

(Shuoshi 硕士)

Doctorate

(Boshi 博士)

National Entrance Examinations to Higher

Education Entry level

(Senior Middle School graduates or Adult

National Examinations)

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State Recognised Degree Titles: Sub-degree Diploma

• Sub degree diplomas (Dazhuan) are available for students who scored lower marks in the NCEE.

• They generally last two or three years.

• These qualifications can be awarded by degree and non-degree awarding institutions.

• Students are only awarded a graduation certificate on completion.

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State Recognised Degree Titles

Bachelor’s degrees• Bachelor degree courses are offered at universities, specialised institutes

and academies.• Courses normally last four years (five years for medicine and architecture).• The Academic Degree Committee of the State Council of China (ADCSC)

decides on the content of degree programmes. Core modules and subject specific competences are decided on by the MOE. Universities do have some autonomy in the representation of these and some optional courses are available.

Master’s degrees• Generally Master’s last between two and three years, depending on subject

specialism.• Master’s degrees are carried out as further specialisation of undergraduate

degrees and always contain a research element.• Advanced Programmes’ are often devised from standard Master’s degree

programmes.Doctorates• Doctoral studies last three years under recognised supervision.• Degree awarding powers and subject areas are determined by the state

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Bachelor degree certificate

Bachelor Degree

Standard Bachelor degree

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Defining Prestigious Institutions

• Universities under direct Ministry of Education Control

• PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) Institutions

• Project 211 Universities

• Project 985 Universities

• University ranking

• Subject ranking

• Chinese Academy of Sciences

• Affiliated colleges

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Adult education

• Adult Learning Institutions

• Forms of adult education:

Self Taught Examinations Television and Radio Adult Education Other Adult Education (Communist Party Schools)

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Television and Radio

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Other Awards

• Joint Overseas programmes

• Private Higher Education