How is the education system in China? It is one of the most questions we receive when people ask doubts about our program of China Scholarships. They wonder if the 4 years in a Bachelor’s Degree are going to be as if they study in their home country or if the educational system looks like something alike. Also, it is a big issue to consider before a family moves to China if there are private and public schools, bilingual or international schools. Here we are going to explain you all about education in China

Internationally the Chinese education is known for its competitiveness and the high level of its students. It is divided into Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary and Superior Education. The Kindergarten education starts at 3 years old and lasts until 5-6 years old, the time when the children start with Primary Education. There are 6 years of Primary Education, 3 years of Secondary Education which includes also High School.

Pre-School Education

The Kindergarten in China is a little bit different than in other countries. The teachers are more strict with the children at that age and establish higher education targets because the Chinese parents are searching the education success from the early years. In case you want to enroll your children in a Kindergarten and you don’t search more than the socialization of your child, it is better you search for an International Kindergarten. It is also so common in China the figure of the Ayis someone who will take care of your child and will teach him the basics things. On a lot of occasions they also take care of the household chores.
All the Pres-School institutions are not mandatory, that’s why you will need to pay fee tuition to enroll your children.

Primary Education

The main differences created in education in China are the consequence of studying in a rural or urban school. For example, in Primary Education there are a lot of subjects that children must study such as science, arts, Chinese language, math, English. The lack of exam for the Primary Education (except for math, Chinese language, and English) creates a big level of difference between students. Usually, in rural areas, the students just have obligatory lessons and aren`t ensured the teaching of subjects like art, music, gymnastic, etc.
A lot of parents, at this stage of education, start to enroll their children in extracurricular activities. The education in China is very competitive and the children need to start to be prepared. The School usually starts from 8:00 am until 15 or 17 pm depending on the area. There are Summer Holidays (July- August) and Winter Holidays ( January or February). Usually, in Beijing and Shanghai, the Primary Education lasts one more year than in the rest of the country.

Secondary Education

In Secondary Education, the difficulties start with the method to choose the center for each student (in the urban areas). There are 3 ways to choose it: by computer, divided by area or by choice. The first method a computer chooses the center by chance, by the divided area it is according to the residence of the student. In the case of by choice, it is done according to some specifics exams or by paying a fee to enter the desired school. Once that the students finish the Junior Middle Education (12-15) they need to decide if they want to study in a professional school, regular senior middle school or a vocational school. In the case they want to continue in the regular education and pass to the Senior Middle Education they need to confront the cost of it and the entrance exam, Zhongkao. Nevertheless, the most famous exam in China is the Gaokao, the National Higher Education Entrance Examination. A nine-hour exam divided into three days in which results lay the opportunity of the students to enter in the desired Universities.
In big cities and expats living cities, there are possibilities to enroll children in International Schools. Depending on your preferred language you will be able to choose, nevertheless, you need to keep in mind that International Schools are quite expensive, but a good option if you are thinking to stay in the country for a couple of years. A good tip we can give to you is negotiating with your company the school tuition as a part of your expat package.

University Education

There are different programs to study in China’s Universities, such as non-degree, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. programs. More than forty years ago the State stopped to fund the University studies, that’s why there is a big competition for scholarships. Also education in China each year gets a better reputation, that’s why it is more popular among foreigners going to study in China. The competition in the process of obtaining a scholarship is higher each year, you can consult the process for the scholarships in our website section.

The regular Bachelor’s degree is usually 3-4 years long and after it, students can keep their studies doing a Master which usually is 2-3 years. Moreover, it is common to find 2-3 years of non-degree programs, students who go to a Junior College.

There is a possibility to study in English at a lot of Universities in China, sometimes they will require you an IELTS or TOEFL high score or even the HSK i.e. Chinese language proficiency exam. It is also common they interview with University representatives. You need to follow up the deadline and the documents required. Usually Chinese Universities handle a number of scholarships to agencies like ours in order to faster the process. We help the students during all the processes (documents, consults…) and at the same time, we learn the University decision before (2-3 weeks after the application instead than in the summer). 

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Education in China is high rated by all the society, that’s why it is competitive. If you are thinking to study in China for your next level of education you can start to make your preparation. For example, you can travel to China a semester to study the Chinese language (also there are scholarships available for it, you can ask us) and take certificates and focus on your GPA.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!