The Comparison of Basic Education
Systems in China and UK
Dr. Kan Wei
Institute of Curriculum and Instruction
Faculty of Education
Beijing Normal University
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
 overview of development of basic education
 Contrasting on educational statistics in Mainland China and
Scotland
 Strategic targets of China education
 Curricular changes
 A student’s and headteacher’s routine day
 Teacher training system in China
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
 overview of development of basic education
 Contrasting on educational statistics in Mainland China and
Scotland
 Strategic targets of China education
 Curricular changes
 A student’s and headteacher’s routine day
 Teacher training system in China
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
 Population:
5.2million vs 1.3 billion
 Land Area:
0.078 m km2 vs 9.6 m km2
 GDP Per Capita in 2011:
$24,000 vs $ 4,832
Vast territory with limited
natural resources and heavy
population burden
Central Area
64% of Land
4% of Population
3
East Area
West Area
2
36% of Land
96% of Population
1
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Age
3
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10-11
11-12
China
Nursery(non compulsory)
Nursery(non compulsory)
Nursery(non compulsory)
Primary (compulsory) grade 1
grade 2
grade 3
grade 4
grade 5
grade 6
12-13
13-14
14-15
15-16
16-17
17-18
Junior high grade 7
grade 8
grade 9
High school(non compulsory) grade 10
grade 11
grade 12
Scotland
Nursery(non compulsory)
Nursery(non compulsory)
Primary (compulsory) P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
Secondary S1
S2
S3
S4
(non compulsory)S5
S6
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Different education system in Scotland compared with Mainland China
mainland China
Scotland
Primary
education
6 years (Y1 to Y6), start from 6
550,000 schools &
105 million pupils
7 years (P1 to P7), from 5
2,184 schools & 382,783
pupils
Secondary
education
6 years (Y7 to Y12)
6 years (S1 to S6)
Compulsory to Y9
Compulsory to S4
100,000 schools
381 schools & 312,979 pupils
60 million junior high Ss;
17.6 million Vocational junior high Ss;
25.1 million High school Ss
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
 overview of development of basic education
 Contrasting on educational statistics in Mainland China and
Scotland
 Strategic targets of China education
 Curricular changes
 A student, headteacher and teacher’s routine day
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems in China
and UK
in Mainland China & Scotland
▪ Contrasting on educational statistics in Mainland China and
Scotland
 Types of schools
 Pupil teacher ratio;
 Class size;
 Number of teachers
 Administrative structure of schools in China
 Conditions of schools
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems in China
and UK
in Mainland China & Scotland

Types of schools Scotland and China:
 Scotland:
 Local schools; Special schools; Denominational schools
(377); independent schools (104); Technology
academies; Self-governing schools.
 China:
 Public schools/private schools;
 Model schools(key schools)/ ordinary schools
(community schools)
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK

Typical schools in Beijing:
Beijing No.4 High school
Beijing No.54 Junior High school
Harrow International Beijing
Jinsong Vocational high school
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Pupil teacher ratio
Pupil teacher ration in some schools in
Shandong Province
Pupil teacher ration in Scotland
Pupil teacher ration in Beijing
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Class size:
Average class sizes in primary have been
falling since 1997. In 2010 the average
class size in primary schools was 23.
Average class size of high school in
cities is 45—55; in rural area is 60--70
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
▪ Every, 48,000 children are absent from school in Scotland, ;
Across all sectors there was 6.8
per cent in 2010-2011,
a slight increase from 6.7 per
cent recorded in
2009-2010.
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Parents in cities:
Place high hopes
in their only child
stay-at-home children in
rural areas are facing the
absence of primary
education,
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems in China
and UK
in Mainland
Number of China
teachers& Scotland
There were 82,178
registered teachers
during session 2009/10,
76.60% female - 23.34%
male.
By age group, the
largest proportion of
teachers were between
51-55 (17.07%).
There were 5,450
provisionally registered
teachers during session
2009/10 in Scotland
Year
Primary
school
teachers
lower
secondary
school
teachers
high
school
teachers
total
1978
5,225.5
2,440.7
741.3
8,407.5
1988
5,501.3
2,402.7
556.9
8,460.9
1998
5,819.4
3,054.7
642.4
9,516.5
2006
5,587.6
3,463.5
1,387.2
10,438.3
2008
5,621.9
3,469
1,480.1
10,571
Numbers of Chinese teachers
Structure of school administration system in China
CP secretary of Education of
District Committee
Facility Centre
HR Department
Headteacher
Training Centre
CP secretary
Assistant of
Headteacher
Director of
GA
Deputy in Charge
of instruction
Director of
Junior high
Director of
High School
Teachers
Union
Deputy in Charge
of moral education
Communist Youth
League Committee
19
Young Pioneers
Structure of school administration system in school district
Head
CP secretary
General affairs
Learning
Department
Research
group
Communist Youth
League Committee
Moral Education
Department
Students Union
Year group
Grades
branches of
Youth League
Class
Subject
teacher
class sponsor
group
Pupils
a teacher may work as a class sponsor besides his or her
20
regular teaching task, who is responsible for students'
morality,
study, and health."
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
▪ China is developing country with a population taking up 1/5 of the
world’s total;
Achievement of 9 years compulsory education
1993
2005
2010
population
being covered
45.3%
94.2%
99.7%
enrollment
rate of
primary
schools
97.7%
99.2%
100%
gross
enrollment of
junior high
73.1%
95%
97.4%
population being
covered
enrollment rate of
primary schools
gross enrollment
of junior high
1993
2005
2010
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Senior high school
pupils (million)
Achievements of the senior high school education
1993
2005
2010
Senior high school
pupils (million)
6.6
24.1
27.1
secondary
vocational and
technical school
pupils (million)
7.6
15.6
22.0
Gross enrollment
of senior high
28.4%
52.7%
82.5%
secondary
vocational and
technical school
pupils (million)
1993
2005
2010
Gross enrollment of senior high
Gross enrollment
of senior high
1993
2005
2010
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Changes of a primary
school in Qinghai,
Western area
Changes in dorm
of primary school
in Chongqing
Changes in a
dinning hall in
primary school
Picture sources:
National State Plan to Achieve “Two Basics” in Western Regions, http://202.205.108.28/platinfo.do
23
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Cleaning new desks
Qiushan Primary School,
Jinan, Shandong Province
First time touching on keyboard
Primary School,
Ningxia Province
Setting up new blackboard
Xinzhai Primary School,
Longsheng County, Guangxi Province
Picture sources:
China Education News Center, www.jyb.com.cn.
Bao’an Volunteers, http://www.bayg.org/bbs/.
24
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems in China
and UK
in Mainland China & Scotland
 overview of development of basic education
 Contrasting on educational statistics in Mainland China and
Scotland
 Strategic targets of China education
 Curricular changes
 A student, headteacher and teacher’s routine day
 Challenges for current basic education in China
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Strategic targets of China education
Building the largest learning society in the world
“Project of capacity improvement ”
（Learning capacity, employment capacity
And capacity of starting an enterprise ）
Promoting the quality
of higher education
developing
vocational education
universalization of
compulsory education
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
▪ New Curriculum System
‐ State Curriculum
‐ Local Curriculum
‐ School-based Curriculum
▪ Linking Curriculum knowledge and pupils’ real life
Picture sources:
Southwest Forestry University, http:://www.swfc.edu.cn.
Ji’nan City Health Bureau. http://news.jnws.gov.cn.
27
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
▪ Pupil-center learning ways
▪ Optional courses, group work, inquiry-based learning
▪ New-type of relations of teachers and pupils
Picture sources:
China Education News Center, www.jyb.com.cn.
28
Curriculum structure (Year 1—Year 9)
Year
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Curriculum Contents
Ideological Morality
Moral & Life
History and
Geography
Moral & Life
Science
Biology, Physics
and Chemistry
Mathematics
Chinese
English
P. E.
P. E. & Healthy
Art & Music
29
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems in China
and UK
in Mainland China & Scotland
 Quality of education

Top scores in PISA 2009
 About 5,100 15-year-olds in
Shanghai were chosen as a
representative cross-section of
students have surprised
experts in reading as well as in
math and science.
 The results reflect the culture
of education in China,
including greater emphasis on
teacher training and more
time spent on studying.
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems in China
and UK
in Mainland China & Scotland
 overview of development of basic education
 Contrasting on educational statistics in Mainland China and
Scotland
 Strategic targets of China education
 Curricular changes
 A student, headteacher and teacher’s routine day
 Challenges for current basic education in China
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
▪
"An average day differs so greatly obviously,
I usually come in to school for about 8
o'clock, that way I can get any preparation
done or even catch up with members of staff.
That gives me an hour to get everything
sorted. I always have a daily challenge for
the children when they come in to class as it
gets them settled and motivated. This might
range from a maths problem, to a language
problem or a general knowledge question".
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
 Headteacher concerns:
 Pupils’ achievements on
various tests;
 Pupils’ safety;
 Teachers’ professional
development.
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
▪
Schools and classrooms do change since the
implementation of new curriculum, but the extent and
direction of change is not always consistent with the
intentions of policy initiatives.
Time
6:50am arrival at school
1) Chinese
2) Math
3) English
4) Physics
11:40am-1:00pm Lunch Break
1:00pm-4:30pm
5) Chemistry
6) History
7) Elective courses
7:30-11:00pm: homework, self
learning
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
 setting- up exercises
during the break
 Well-designed whole-bodyexercise
 eye exercises:
 traditional Chinese
massage
 Self-study at night in rural
schools;
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
 Teachers routine works
 Averagely 8--12 classes per week;
 Classroom observations;
 Prepare lesson plan with colleagues
in research
 Class sponsors take responsibilities
of pupils’ development;
 Assembly for teachers’ training
program.
Proportion of teachers at all school levels
7%
7%
12%
kindgarden and preschool
teachers幼儿园教师
Primary school teachers小学
教师
lower secondary school
teachers初中教师
46%
28%
high school teachers高中教师
secondary vocational school
teachers中等职业学校教师
中国大陆地区教师数量的变化 (Thousand,千人)
Numbers of teachers in Mainland China,1978-2008
12000.00
10000.00
high school teachers高
中教师
8000.00
lower secondary school
teachers初中教师
6000.00
4000.00
1978primary school
teachers小学教师
5225.50
1998Primary school
teachers小学教师 ,
5819.40
2000.00
0.00
1978
2008Primary school
teachers小学教师 ,
5621.90
1988
1998
high school teachers高中教师
lower secondary school teachers初中教师
Primary school teachers小学教师
2006
2008
学历合格率（qualification rate of diploma/degree）
▪Requests in primary schools: at least secondary normal school diploma
▪Requests in at least college diploma
▪Requests in high schools: at least secondary bachelor degree
Goal: in 5-10 years
▪primary: college diploma and large proportion of bachelor degree
▪lower secondary schools: bachelor degree
▪high schools: master degree
Teachers distribution in different Areas
School level
total
Cities
Kindergarten and 0.899
0.381
preschools
（42.5%）
Primary school
5.622
Lower secondary 3.469
school
High school
1.476
Counties
Rural areas
and
township
0.309
0.209
（34.3%） （23.2%）
0.930
1.355
3.337
（16.5%） （24.1%） （59.4%）
0.682
1.443
1.344
（19.7%） （41.6%） （38.7%）
0.552
0.805
0.119
（37.4%） （54.6%） （8.1%）
Source: MOE, 2009；Unit: Million
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
 overview of development of basic education
 Contrasting on educational statistics in Mainland China and
Scotland
 Strategic targets of China education
 Curricular changes
 A student, headteacher and teacher’s routine day
 Challenges for current basic education in China
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK

Challenges to basic education in China
 1. Deformative labor market transmits the pressures of
competition into primary and secondary school classroom
Tens of thousands of job
Parents are anxiously
seekers line up at a job fair waiting for their children
in Chengdu
out of the rooms of
national university
entrance tests
A survey of 9 to 12-year-olds
in eastern China found that
more than 80 % worried "a
lot" about exams, 2/3 feared
punishment by their teachers
and almost 3/4 reported
fearing physical punishment
from their parents.
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK

Schooling of migrants workers children and
“skyrocketing” school choice fee reflect the
problems of inequity.
improving the superficial educational measures,
increasing the group interaction, weakening the
social comparison and reconstructing the social
category should be adopted, so that harmony in
the inter-group relationship and positive social
identity of migrant could be promoted. (Kan, 2011)
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems
in China and UK
Primary school:
28%;
junior high: 60%;
High school: 85%:
Colleges: 87%
 Bullying is not a
serious problem but
high rate of myopia,
obesity and anxious
psychological
problems are
challenges for young
generations
The Comparison of Basic Education Systems in China
and UK
Thanks
kanwei@bnu.edu.cn