EFA 2000：Literacy Assessment China
EDUCATION FOR ALL: THE YEAR 2000 ASSESSMENT
COUNTRY REPORT
BY
CHINA
[This is an excerpt of country report containing relevant sections on literacy and non-formal education.]
Downloaded from Asia-Pacific Literacy Data Base (http://www.accu.or.jp/litdbase).
CHAPTER ONE
The Objectives and Measures of EFA
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1.2 China's National Conference on Education for All
….. On March 1, 1993, the Chinese government convened a National Conference on Education for all in Beijing with a view to enhancing the awareness of EFA and extensively mobilizing all quarters of society and the populace at large to support the cause of EFA and take part in its activities. The conference was chaired by Mr. Li Tieying, State Councilor, and concurrently the minister in charge of SedC. Premier Li Peng delivered a speech in the conference (See Box 1.2). Two thematic reports on the "Current Situation of Basic Education in China and the Strategy of Development" and the "Current Situation of Literacy Education in China and Future Prospects" were made by vice ministers of SEdC Messrs. Liu Bin and Wang Mingda respectively. …..
Box 1.2
Excerpts from the speech delivered by Premier Li Peng
on the National Conference on Education for All
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The last eight years of the 1990s constitute a crucial period for the realization of China's strategic objectives for economic and social development, and at the same time a decisive stage in our effort to attain the goals set for basically universalizing 9-year compulsory schooling and basically eradicating illiteracy among young and middle-aged adults. And it is imperative to adhere to and constantly improve the management structure of education, in which the responsibility of developing basic education lies with local authorities with suitable division of responsibilities among governments of various levels; with regard to educational financing, it is imperative to adhere to and constantly improve the educational finance system in which governmental allocations are the main source but to be supplemented by funds raised through multiple avenues. It is imperative to adhere to and constantly improve the system of educational inspection exercised at various levels. In rural areas, governments at various levels, especially those at the county and township levels, should continue to endeavor to integrate educational development with the development of the rural economy, and with the popularization of S&T achievements by a well-coordinated approach. Within the educational sector, an integrated approach should be taken to pool the resources of basic education, vocational education and adult education to their mutual advantage.
1.3 Determining Objectives for Development and Criteria for Acceptance
1.3.1 Objectives of Education for All
The Guidelines for the Reform and Development of Education in China (issued in 1993) set the general objectives of educational development during the 1990s as follows:
--Basically eradicating illiteracy among the young and middle-aged adults by reducing the illiteracy rate among the 15-45 age group to under 5%;
--Rural adult education should be energetically developed by running well the existing cultural and technical schools for adults in rural towns and townships, and by a proper integration of cultural education with vocational training in an endeavor to raise the quality of the rural work force.
The Suggestions of the State Council on the Implementation of the Guidelines for the Reform and Development of Education in China (issued in 1995) further clarifies the following points:
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The Ninth Five-Year Plan for Educational Development and the long Range Development program Toward the Year 2010 gives specific targets for the development of preschool education, for 9-year compulsory education, and for literacy work and cultural and technical training for adults (See Box 1.3)
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--Efforts should be made to enable 4 million illiterates to attain minimum literacy each year, and to reduce the rates of relapse into illiteracy among the neo-literates to 5%, and thereby reducing illiteracy rates among the young and middle-aged adults to less than 5% by the year 2000.
--Greater progress should be made in the development of vocational training and continuing education through the joint efforts of vocational training institutions, vocational schools of various types and levels, adult schools, and the distance education programs provided by radio and television broadcasts, satellite-transmitted educational TV programs and correspondence education.
Box 1.3 Targets of EFA to Be Attained by 1991
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Illiterate Population 15 years of age and over: 182,000,000 *
Illiteracy rates of population 15 year old and over: 22.27% *
Illiteracy rates of young and middle-aged adults (15-40): 10.4% *
* Based on 1990 data.
1.3.2 Quality standards of work related to universalizing 9-year compulsory education and literacy work
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Illiteracy rates. Among the 15-year olds, the illiteracy rates should be controlled under 1% or so, subject to the acceptance of provincial level governments.
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l Criteria set for literacy work applied to individuals and work units
Article 7 of the Regulations on Eradicating Illiteracy Work promulgated by the State Council (first released in 1988 and revised in 1993) gives specific provisions on this matter.
Minimum literacy standards for individuals. With regard to the recognition of characters, 1500 is the threshold set for a rural inhabitant, 2000 for a worker or staff member employed by an enterprise or institution or for an urban inhabitant; besides a neo-literate should be able to read the easier popular papers and magazines and essays, to be able to keep simple accounts, and to be able to write simple and applications-oriented essays.
Minimum literacy standards for work units. For a unit claiming to have eradicated illiteracy among its staff members, the following requirements have to be met: the proportion of literate people among all its members 15 years of age and over, born after October 1, 1949, exclusive of those lacking learning ability, should reach 95% in a rural area, and 98% in an urban area. And the rate of relapse into illiteracy among the neo-literates should be controlled under 5%.
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1.4 Main Actions Taken to Promote Education for All
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l Giving educational development high priority in national goals.
China has attached great importance to the development of education, and its achievements in improving children and young people' accesses to schooling, and in eradicating illiteracy have attracted worldwide attention. With the advent of the 1990s, starting from the strategy of developing the country by relying on science and education and of sustainable development, the Party and state have decided that high priority should be given to the development of education in the overall framework of the development of the national economy; that in the domain of educational development, a strategy of "low center of gravity" should be implemented by giving due attention to the training of skilled personnel at secondary and elementary levels; and that within the educational sector, the "two basics" (i.d. basically universalizing 9-year compulsory schooling and basically eradicating illiteracy among the young and middle-aged groups by the end of the century) should be regarded as the top priority among priorities.
l Local authorities are held responsible for the development of basic education with suitable division of responsibilities among governments at various levels.
This is an important component of the educational management structure of China laid down in the Decision on the Reform of the Education Structure jointly promulgated by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Its essential meaning is that under the overall guidance and support of the state, the responsibility and authority for universalizing compulsory education and eradicating illiteracy would be delegated to local governments. With the advent of the 1990s, it has been further clarified "in the implementation of compulsory education, the managerial responsibilities are divided among the provincial, county, and township level governments under the general guidance of the State Council", "in the implementation of compulsory education, in urban areas the responsibility lies with the governments of cities or the districts of large cities; while in rural areas the responsibility first of all lies with the county government, with suitable delegation of power to township authorities", "in literacy education, the county level government is responsible for overall planning, and the township level governments are held responsible for implementation", "with regard to the accomplishments of universalizing compulsory education and literacy education, their acceptance will be organized by a county-level government", and thereby perfecting the management structure related to educational provision and management by levels.
l Strengthening legislation in education.
The Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China was adopted by the National People's Congress in 1986, and subsequently the Regulations on Eradicating Illiteracy Work was promulgated by the State Council in 1988, the Detailed Rules on Implementing the Compulsory Education Law was issued by the State Education Commission in 1992, the Regulations on the Education of the Disabled was promulgated by the State Council, and the Law on the Protection of Juveniles, the Teachers' Law of the People's Republic of China and the Education Law of the People's Republic of China were consecutively adopted by the NPC in 1991, 1993 and 1995 respectively. These laws and regulations have placed compulsory education and literacy work on a legal basis.
l Suitable division of responsibilities among governmental agencies concerned and exertion of concerted efforts.
The CPC committees, the governments, and People's Congresses at all levels should take part in decision making related to educational policies. The management of EFA at the central level mainly resides in the central educational department under the unified guidance of the State Council and in collaboration with other relevant departments (mainly governmental agencies in charge of planning, finance, capital construction, civil affairs, nationalities affairs, and NGOs like ACWF, and the Youth League), with suitable division of responsibilities among them. At the provincial, county, and township levels, the general practice has been to set up a leading group for promoting "two basics", headed by main leading cadres of both the Party and the government and with other members drawn from the educational department and from other relevant departments. This leading group is responsible for coordinating the work of all departments concerned and for urging them to fulfil their responsibilities. In view of the peculiarities confronted by literacy work, at the national level an interdepartmental steering group for literacy work has been organized, at provincial and lower levels, similar bodies have been set up to provide guidance to literacy work.
l Extensive mobilization of the masses.
Although the Chinese government has emphasized again and again that universalizing 9-year compulsory schooling and eradicating illiteracy pertain to governmental behaviors and the responsibility for their implementation mainly lies with the government. However, due attention has been given to arousing the awareness and understanding of the masses in an effort to seek their participation and support. The press and mass media have played their role in relevant publicity work. For instance, in October 1995, the Committee on Women's and Children's Work under the State Council convened a conference devoted to publicity concerning children's development in China. At this conference a full account of the background of EFA, objectives and policy measures, outstanding issues and difficulties was given to the participants from more than 100 press and media units. The Chinese press and media have publicized EFA and made their contribution to the mobilization of the masses. The broad masses have enthusiastically lent their concern of and support to educational development by making donations and contributing voluntary labor. In recent years two thirds of the expenses on school buildings and other facilities depend on people's donations, making an important contribution to alleviate the shortage of school buildings arising from the implementation of 9-year compulsory schooling.
l Improving education for the disadvantaged groups.
Education of the disadvantaged groups mainly refers to education conducted in poverty-stricken areas (including areas with unfavorable natural environment, sparsely populated mountainous areas and pastoral areas, etc,). Specifically it comprises education conducted in the 594 state designated level poor counties and in areas where ethnic minorities live in compact communities, as well as education of the disabled, girls' education, women's literacy education, and the education of children of migrants (the last problem has emerged with the increase of rural-urban migration). The education of these disadvantaged groups constitutes the difficult point and the priority of the implementation of 9-year compulsory schooling and of eradication illiteracy. Since the convening of the WCEFA China has given still greater attention to the education of these disadvantaged groups, as evidenced by relevant comments in the speeches and reports made by the state's leaders, and in important documents released during the past decade. A series of conferences have been convened by SEdC in collaboration with the following governmental agencies and NGOs: State Nationalities Affairs Commission, All China Women's Federation, China Association of the Disabled in an endeavor to promote the education of the disadvantaged groups by formulating policy measures and initiating specific projects to address the problems and issues related to the promotion of education in poor areas, in tackling problems of education in minority areas and problems of the education of the disabled and of women's education. These efforts have succeeded in increasing financial inputs to relevant projects by increasing financial budgetary appropriations, by instituting earmarked funds for universalizing compulsory schooling in poor areas, by giving subsidies to education in minority areas, by mobilizing governmental agencies and educational institutions in the developed areas to lend their support to the counterparts in the disadvantaged areas through partnerships, and by inducing inter-governmental organizations and other external donors to increase their grants-in-aid directed to the poor areas.
l Striving to meet the learning needs of children and youth and adults
Since China is a vast country with quite different topographical features from region to region and with large regional disparities in development, the promotion of EFA must be carried out with due consideration of local conditions. And the following principles should be adhered to: integrating formal education with non-formal education, combining face-to-face instruction with distance education, so as to provide more adequate opportunities of learning to children, youth and adults by all possible means. In remote areas, rural areas, poor and minority areas, it is advisable and desirable to have half day schools in addition to ordinary all day schools; to have evening schools in addition to daytime schools; to have boarding schools in addition to schools for commuters; and to combine the study of technical subjects with the study of general cultural subjects. In rural areas, morning classes, evening classes, half day classes, and seasonal classes may all be resorted to in literacy work in an effort to adapt teaching and learning to rural seasonal conditions. In sparsely populated remote areas, where the inhabitants are scattered and transport is difficult. The following measures may be used to ease the schooling of school-aged children: setting up boarding schools or semi-boarding schools, simplified primary schools focusing on the three R's, increasing out-reach teaching sites, and adopting multiple-grade classes in teaching. For pupils from families with special difficulties, they may be allowed to go to school later and leave school earlier, and the older child is allowed to bring with her or him a younger sibling. To meet the needs of the minority areas and of religious conventions, single-nationality schools and girls' schools may be developed there, and in regular coeducational schools, special classes for girls may be organized. With respect of subjects taught in simplified schools, either only the following four subjects are provided: language, arithmetic, common knowledge, and moral study; or only language and arithmetic are taught. With respect to the modes of educational delivery, besides school attendance together with one's peers, some learning needs may be met by listening to or viewing radio and television broadcasts, or playback of video tapes.