11.1 Introduction
China has developed more rapidly than anywhere else in the world over the last
three decades. In the 1980s the transformation began from a predominantly rural
and peasant society to one where the majority have become urban dwellers with
living a life fully integrated into mass consumption and an industrialised soci-
ety free of agricultural dependence. The Chinese education system has contrib-
uted directly to the unprecedented rates of change that have reshaped the lives of
most of the population through the investments in knowledge and skill that have
enhanced the capabilities of the labour force and contributed to greater well being.
At the same time the education system has evolved to reflect the rapid social and
economic changes that have conditioned its growth and made a reality of nine-year
compulsory education for all.
This research monograph details changing patterns of access over time and
the evolution of policy and practice. It highlights factors that are associated with
progress towards the goals set at national level in the 1980s to ensure all children
complete nine years of education. The case studies are set against the backdrop of
China’s rapid modernisation, and its impressive successes in progressing towards
universal access to basic education which may inform attempts in other countries
to achieve similar goals.
This book charts how change has taken place and identifies the most impor-
tant developments over the last thirty years. Any account of Chinese educational
reform can only capture part of the diverse and rich experience that has shaped
a continent. We have chosen to approach the topic in two parts. In the first part
of this book we report developments between 1990 and 2012 in three contrasting
case study areas which can be characterised as rich, poor and in a national minor-
ity area. In the second part we have identified four thematic issues that define
key areas of policy and practice in relation to development. These are concerned
Chapter 1
Introduction to the Development of Basic
Education in China
© Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2016
L. Wang and K. Lewin, Two Decades of Basic Education in Rural China,
New Frontiers of Educational Research, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-2120-6_1