Basic education reform in China: globalization with Chinese characteristics

Abstract

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. Basic education (a preferred term used in China) refers to elementary and secondary school education (totalling 12 years). For details, please refer to Harris, Zhao and Caldwell in this volume. 2. As one of the strategies to upgrade overall basic education quality and promote education equity, the government has implemented a trial free education programme for prospective teachers since 2007 in six key normal universities. These prospective teachers are offered incentives such as government-paid living expenses, exemption from tuition fees, and security of teaching jobs while they receive their tertiary teacher education, but they must be contracted to work in rural or underdeveloped areas after graduation for at least 10 years. If proved successful, this programme will be extended to more teacher education universities. 3. Chongqing City is the fourth city under the direct jurisdiction of the central government of China; that is, it is a city of comparable status to that of a province. The other three cities are: Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin.