Education in China: Challenges and Prospects of the XXI Century
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28925/2312-5829/2024.4.8Keywords:
education in the PRC, educational reforms, digital technologies, educational inequality, globalization, artificial intelligence, internationalizationAbstract
The study is dedicated to a detailed analysis of the modern education system in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), focusing on its historical development, key reforms, as well as the challenges and prospects the country faces in the context of globalization and digitalization. The main idea of the article is that education in China is a crucial component of national development, closely linked to the country’s economic and social transformations. The authors emphasize the significance of the educational reforms implemented in the 21st century, particularly the introduction of a new curriculum that shifts the focus from traditional rote learning to the development of critical thinking, creativity, and practical skills.
The article addresses the key challenges facing China’s education system: socio-economic inequality between urban and rural areas, high levels of stress among students due to the rigorous examination system, and insufficient teacher training, especially in rural areas. The authors note that, despite significant achievements, these issues remain relevant and require further attention and resolution.
The research highlights that China is actively working to overcome these challenges through various reforms, including the "double reduction" policy, which aims to reduce the academic burden on students and improve their well-being. The importance of developing vocational education, which better aligns the education system with the needs of the labor market, is also emphasized.
In conclusion, the article underscores that the future of education in the PRC will be shaped by further informatization, internationalization, and continued reforms aimed at enhancing educational equity and quality. International cooperation, which facilitates the exchange of experiences and the implementation of best practices in the Chinese education system, plays a crucial role in this process. Overall, the Chinese experience can be valuable for other countries seeking to improve their education systems in the context of global transformations.
Downloads
References
Cai Y. Chinese higher education: The changes in the past two decades and reform tendencies up to 2020. China and Brazil: Challenges and Opportunities / Eds. L. d. C. Ferreira, J. A. G. Albuquerque. Campinas: Anablumme, 2013. P. 91–118.
Cheng T., Chen N. The Modernization of Education in China Over the Past Century. The Frontier of Education Reform and Development in China: Articles from Educational Research. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2023. P. 299–318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6355-1_16.
Gao X., Li M. Differences between returns to education in Urban and rural China and its evolution from 1989 to 2019. Plos one. 2022. Vol. 17, No. 10. e0274506. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274506.
Guo L., Huang J., Zhang Y. Education development in China: Education return, quality, and equity. Sustainability. 2019. Vol. 11, No. 13. 3750.
Han X. Big moves to improve the quality of teacher education in China. On the Horizon. 2012. Vol. 20, No. 4. P. 324–335. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/10748121211272461.
Hayhoe R. China’s universities and the open door. Routledge, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315492698.
He W., Wei G. Higher Education in China, a Paradigm Shift from Conventional to Online Teaching. Higher Education Studies. 2021. Vol. 11, No. 2. P. 30–41.
Hu A., Verdugo R. R. An analysis of teacher education policies in China. International Journal of Educational Reform. 2015. Vol. 24, No. 1. P. 37–54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/105678791502400104.
Huang Z., Wang T., Li X. The political dynamics of educational changes in China. Policy Futures in Education. 2015. Vol. 14, No. 1. P. 24–41.
Knox J. Artificial intelligence and education in China. Learning, Media and Technology. 2020. Vol. 45, No. 3. P. 298–311.
Kreydun N., Nalyvaiko O., Ivanenko L., Zotova L., Nevoienna O., Iavorovska L., Kharchenko A., Sevostianov P. The Quality of Education in the Conditions of Forced Distance Learning Caused by COVID-19. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala. 2022. Vol. 14, No. 4. P. 423–448. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/14.4/649.
Li Q., Zhu X., Lo L. N. Teacher education and teaching in China. Teachers and Teaching. 2019. Vol. 25, No. 7. P. 753–756. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2019.1693429.
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. Major educational achievements in China in 2020. 2020. URL: http://en.moe.gov.cn/features/2021TwoSessions/Reports/202103/t20210323_522026.html
Mok K. H. The Covid-19 pandemic and international higher education in East Asia. Changing higher education in East Asia. 2022. P. 225–246.
Muthanna A., Sang G. Undergraduate Chinese students’ perspectives on Gaokao examination: Strengths, weaknesses, and implications. International Journal of Research Studies in Education. 2016. Vol. 5, No. 2. P. 3–12.
Nalyvaiko N., Nalyvaiko O., Kharchenko A., Mkrtichian O., Zhernovnykova O. Levels of education in the People’s Republic of China. Scientific Notes of the Pedagogical Department. 2022. No. 51. P. 47–53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26565/2074-8167-2022-51-06.
Nalyvaiko O. O. Prospects of using neural networks in higher education of Ukraine. Information Technologies and Learning Tools. 2023. Vol. 97, No. 5. P. 1–17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33407/itlt.v97i5.5322.
Ryan J., Slethaug G. (Eds.). International education and the Chinese learner. Hong Kong University Press, 2010.
She B., Ramasamy S. S., Loahavilai P. O. Analysis of the impact of the “double reduction” policy on the educational processes of Chinese students studying in Europe. International Journal of Chinese Education. 2023. Vol. 12, No. 1. https://doi.org/2212585X231168677.
Su J., Guo K., Chen X., Chu S. K. W. Teaching artificial intelligence in K–12 classrooms: a scoping review. Interactive Learning Environments. 2023. P. 1–20.
Wang J., Zhao Z. Basic education curriculum reform in rural China: Achievements, problems, and solutions. Chinese Education & Society. 2011. Vol. 44, No. 6. P. 36–46.
Wang S., Sun Z., Chen Y. Effects of higher education institutes’ artificial intelligence capability on students’ self-efficacy, creativity and learning performance. Education and Information Technologies. 2023. Vol. 28, No. 5. P. 4919–4939.
Xing H., Li S. W. Vocational education reform in China. China education development yearbook. 2009. Vol. 1. P. 175–188.
Yuan W., Wang Y. The development of vocational education and training in China. 1st International Conference on Education: Current Issues and Digital Technologies (ICECIDT 2021). Atlantis Press, 2021. P. 375–383. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210527.064.
Zhang X. (Ed.). China’s education development and policy, 1978-2008. Brill, 2011. Vol. 9.
Zhao Q., Wang X., Rozelle S. Better cognition, better school performance? Evidence from primary schools in China. China Economic Review. 2019. Vol. 55. P. 199–217. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2019.04.005.
Zhu G. Comparative Education in China. Emergent Trends in Comparative Education: The Dialectic of the Global and the Local. 2022. P. 157.
Zhu Y. New national initiatives of modernizing education in China. ECNU Review of Education. 2019. Vol. 2, No. 3. P. 353–362. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2096531119868069.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Educological discourse

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Автори зберігають за собою всі авторські права та одночасно надають журналу право першої публікації на умовах лізенції Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, що дозволяє розповсюджувати даний матеріал із зазначенням авторства та первинної публікації в даному журналі.