OVERVIEW

China's rapid economic growth and development over the last decade or so, together with its entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has resulted in the country becoming one of the major players on the global stage. At the same time, the nation is readying itself for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010, the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou and a range of other high profile global events. These factors have led to an urgency to educate and train its population - in English and other foreign languages, business and management, information technology (IT) and computer skills, hospitality, customer services, security and a host of other areas. All of these elements result in a potentially huge educational market in China.

Chinese Education System

China has a total population of 1.28 billion and therefore has the largest education system in the world. The whole country adopts one education system that consists of four main parts: basic education, higher education, vocational education/training and adult education.

• Basic Education: from pre-school (including nursery and kindergarten from the ages of 4 to 6) to six-year primary school, then three-year junior high school followed by three-year senior high school. According to The Compulsory Education Law of China, education in primary schools and junior high schools is compulsory.
• Higher Education: education in colleges and universities (including two-year professional education, four-year bachelors degree, three-year masters degree, two/three-year Ph.D. degree)
• Vocational Education/Training: after finishing the three-year junior high school, students can either choose to attend three-year senior high school for those wishing to continue their academic education programme, or opt for two to four years specialized/vocational/technical secondary education, if they want to be trained as medium-level skilled personnel.
• Adult Education: the adult education category overlaps all of the above categories. It comprises primary education, secondary education and higher education programmes for workers, peasants and the illiterate. Most of the programmes offer a two- or three-year curriculum.

China has set up an education system with government as the major investor and social partners as co-investors. At present, local government plays a key role in compulsory education, while central and provincial governments are dominant in higher education. In occupational and adult education, social partners, including industrial organisations, businesses and public institutions, are playing an increasingly important role. To accommodate the socio-economic development and satisfy the desire for higher-level education, the Chinese education sector still has a long way to go. It requires countrywide efforts in increasing education funds, improving schooling conditions, boosting teaching competence and strengthening education administration.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) in Beijing is a central government department under the State Council (more-or-less the Chinese government Cabinet). It is the supreme education administrative body in China with responsibility for carrying out related laws, regulations, guidelines and policies of the central government; planning and development of the education sector; integrating and coordinating educational initiatives and programmes and guiding education reform countrywide. Each province has an Education Bureau that implements central policies but may have limited power to make local regulations that must agree with central policies. Further down the structure are the municipal authorities, which are responsible for the education administrative work at municipal level.

The government is still the major source for the funding of education, although multiple fund channels have been now been opened. At present, funding needed by schools directly controlled by the central government comes from the central financial pool. Schools controlled by local governments are supported by local finance. Schools sponsored by township and village governments and by public institutions are mainly financed by the sponsor institutions and subsidised by local governments. Funds needed by schools operated by social partners are raised by the sponsors themselves (including collecting tuition from students and soliciting contributions). In addition to these sources, the central government is advocating work-study programmes, aimed at improving the education conditions through premium services.
International co-operation
Since 1978, when China inaugurated the opening and reform initiative, international communication and co-operation in the education sector has moved on in terms of encouraging the development of overseas study, increasing the number of foreigners studying in China and expanding cross-border academic communication. International communication and co-operation has brought beneficial returns, impelling education reform and development in China and enhancing the mutual understanding and friendship between China and other countries.

China issued a regulation about Sino-foreign joint venture schools in 1995 to spur more high quality foreign educational resources to enter China and allow Chinese students to receive foreign education at home, in a bid to enhance China's educational competitiveness in the international arena. By the end of 2005 China had 851 Sino-foreign joint venture schools and educational programs, the number rising especially fast after the country's accession to the World Trade Organisation.

China and Britain inaugurated a new campus for the University of Nottingham in East China's Zhejiang Province on 23 Feb 2006. The University of Nottingham, China Campus is the first endeavour between the Chinese and British educational sectors.

China attaches importance to relations with Britain and will push for the development of bilateral ties. Chinese President Hu Jintao and British Prime Minister Tony Blair exchanged visits last year and the two countries launched a strategic dialogue program.

At a meeting with visiting British Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said, "All of these have injected new vigour and content to the all-round strategic partnership between China and Britain." Sino-British relations are developing well, and Britain will enhance co-operation with China in education.
Task Force
The Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, held talks in London in May 2004 during Premier Wen Jiabao's official visit to the UK. The Task Force has drawn in expertise from all parts of society and has produced new proposals in trade and investment, finance, energy, education, science and technology, environment - including climate change - and sustainable development, and culture. (For details, please see http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page5779.asp).