Greetings from the Education and Research Section at the Australian Embassy, Beijing. See below a round-up of recent China-related education related media releases, which we trust will be useful for developing a better understanding of China's education policy environment.
National Reports misinterpreting Vocational Education Law, Ministry of Education says By China Daily, 27 April 2022
The Chinese Ministry of Education (MoE) on 27 April dismissed news reports of canceling the diversion of students into vocational education and regular education after the completion of middle school as a misinterpretation of the newly adopted Vocational Education Law. The Director of MoE’s Department of vocational and adult education said promoting coordinated development of vocational and regular education by no means signals the cancellation of secondary vocational education. He said that rather than a strict 50-50 percent diversion of students, the new law has allowed differences in the rate of students pursuing vocational education based on local conditions.
Dates set for China's 2022 national college entrance exam By China Daily, 7 May 2022
China's national college entrance exam for 2022, also known as Gaokao, will be held on June 7 and 8 as scheduled, the MoE announced on 7 May, except for Shanghai, which announced to delay the test by one month due to strict pandemic lockdown.
Compulsory education curriculum to include household skills By China Daily, 7 May 2022
Starting from the upcoming fall semester, students in primary and middle schools across China will have at least one course every week to learn basic household skills such as cleaning and cooking, plus cutting-edge technology including 3D printing and laser cutting. This follows a document recently released by the MoE that sets curriculum standards for labour education at the compulsory education level.
All counties in China pass the assessment of balanced compulsory education development By ECNS, 6 May 2022
According to the MoE, all 2,895 counties across China have passed the national assessment of balanced development in compulsory education by the end of 2021. The assessment standards were issued by the MoE in 2012 and include elements such as student-and-teacher ratio, education funds, teachers’ salaries, and education quality.
China to provide free medical education to 5,918 students in 2022(CHN) By EOL, 7 May 2022
According to a recent publication by the MoE, China will support a total of 5,918 individuals to complete five years of undergraduate medical studies free of charge. Students who graduate from this program will need to support China's Central-Western region and countryside upon completion.
China launches learning app for middle, primary school students By China Daily, 28 April 2022
China has launched a mobile app (智慧中小学)to provide middle and primary school students with more convenient ways to study online amid the COVID-19 resurgence, according to the MoE. The app is based on the previous website-based learning platform.
More children at kindergartens than ever By China Daily, 26 April 2022
The number of kindergartens in China has increased by almost 80 percent in the past decade as central authorities placed greater importance on the development of preschool education, the MoE said on 26 April. There were 295,000 kindergartens last year, up from 128,000 in 2011 and the number of kindergarten pupils has grown by 13.8 million in the past decade to 48 million last year.
Provincial/SARs Shanghai postpones entrance examinations for college, senior high By ECNS, 7 May 2022
The Shanghai Municipal government said on 7 May that the city's entrance examinations for colleges (Gaokao) and senior high schools (Zhongkao) will be postponed for a month due to the latest resurgence of COVID-19. Over 50,000 students are expected to sit the College Entrance Exam (Gaokao) in Shanghai this year.
Lockdowns lead to international exam and staff disruptions By University World News, 5 May 2022
International curriculums, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) and International A levels have once again canceled tests in some areas in China due to pandemic-led lockdowns. The situation has been further compounded by reports that foreign teachers at international schools are leaving the country due to harsh lockdown measures.
The Chengdu 2021 World University Games have been postponed until 2023, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) announced on 6 May. The FISU Games had initially been scheduled for the summer of 2021 but were rescheduled for June this year following the postponement of the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
Please note that the articles above are summaries of Chinese media (all hyperlinked) and we have not independently verified the accuracy of the information. All views expressed are those of the media cited and not necessary held by us.
