In 2003, the educational sector made new progress in reforms and development in line with the objective of building a well-off society and improving educational services to satisfy people's demands and in implementation of the guideline of national rural education work conference.

Compulsory Education

The coverage rate of the "two basic education plans"(plans for popularizing nine-year compulsory education and eliminating illiteracy among young and middle-aged people) was on the further increase, reaching 91.8 percent. By the end of 2003, the number of the counties (cities and districts) passing the assessment of fulfilling the plans reached 2,659, increasing 61 over 2002. 12 provinces and municipalities have realized the requirement of the plans. 

Due to readjustment of school setups and the decreasing population at schooling age, the number of primary schools and pupils studying at school were on the decline. In 2003, there were 425,800 primary schools in the country, decreasing 31,100; the number of enrolled pupils was 18,293,900, decreasing 1,234,100 from 2002; the number of pupils at school was 116,897,400, decreasing 4,669,700. The ratio between the enrolled pupils and children at schooling age was 98.65 percent; the schooling rate of boys and girls was 98.69 and 98.61 percent respectively. The difference between the male and female students at school was 0.08 percentage points. The dropout rate of primary school was 0.34 percent and the rate of girls was 0.36 percent. The five-year consolidation rate for the pupils at primary school was 98.80 percent, basically the same with 2002. The enrollment rate of the pupils to junior high school was 97.9 percent, rising 0.88 percentage points.

The number of the teachers and staff members in primary schools decreased slightly and the qualification rate of full-time teachers was on the rise. There were 6,256,200 teachers and staff members in primary schools in the country, decreasing 84,000 from previous year. Of the total, full-time teachers were 5,702,800, reducing 76,100. The qualification rate of full-time teachers of primary school was 97.85 percent, rising 0.46 percentage points over the previous year. The ratio between teachers and pupils in primary school was 1:20.5, lower than 1:21.04 of the previous year.    With the realization of the target of popularization of nine-year compulsory education and due to the decrease of the children at schooling age, the number of enrollment to junior high schools slightly declined. But the number of students at school and students graduated from school increased. There were 64,700 junior high schools (including 1,019 vocational junior high schools), decreasing 1,000 from 2002. The number of students enrolled into junior high schools was 22,201,300, decreasing 616,900. There were 66,908,300 students at the schools in the country, increasing 34,000; 20,184,600 students graduated from junior high school, increasing 1,147,700. The rough enrolling rate of the junior high school was 92.7 percent, rising 2.7 percentage points. The drop-out rate at junior high school was 2.84 percent, and the rate for female students was 2.43 percent. The enrollment rate of the students to senior high school was 59.6 percent, rising 1.3 percentage points.

There were 3,497,500 full-time teachers at the junior high school, increasing 29,800. The qualification rate of the teachers was 91.98 percent, up 1.7 percentage points. The teacher-student ratio was 1:19.13 in 2003, decreasing slightly from 1:19.29 in 2002.

The school conditions of junior high schools and primary schools were further improved. The building area of the schools was 1,185,505,200 square meters, increasing 52,516,600 square meters. 50.2 percent of primary schools and 65.68 junior high schools had their sport fields or gymnasium reached targeted area; 38.66 percent of primary schools and 53.95 percent of junior high schools had their musical instruments meet the requirements; 36.69 percent of primary schools and 52.43 percent of junior high schools had their fine art fittings reached the target respectively; 49.8 percent of primary schools and 70.17 percent of junior high schools had their mathematical and experimental instruments reach the target respectively.

Pre-school Education and Special Education

The number of kindergartens increased over the previous year. In 2003, there were 116,400 kindergartens in the country, rising 41,600. The number of children at kindergartens was 20,040,000, decreasing 320,200. The directors and teachers of kindergartens were 709,100, rising 49,800 over 2002.

There were 1,551 schools engaged in special education in 2003, increasing 11. The number of enrolled handicapped children at the school was 48,800, decreasing 4,100 from the previous year. There were 364,700 handicapped students in the school, decreasing 9,800 from 2001. Of the students, blind students at special school for the blind were 38,300; those at special school for the deaf, 109,800; retarded ones at the special school, 216,600. The number of handicapped students at general school accounted for 63.64 and 66.23 percent of total enrollment and of the students receiving special education at school. 44,500 handicapped students graduated from special school, decreasing 300 from the previous year.

Senior High School Education

There were 31,800 senior high schools (including general high school, vocational high school, specialized high school, technical school, adult high school and adult specialized high school) in China, decreasing 1,000 from 2002. The number of enlisted students at the school was 12,678,800, increasing 871,500; the total number of the students at school was 32,434,000, increasing 3,352,600. The rough enrollment rate to senior high school was 43.8 percent.

There were 15,800 general senior high schools, increasing 400 over 2002; the enrolled students were 7,521,300, rising 754,300 or 11.15 percent; the number of the students at school was 19,648,300, rising 2,810,200 or 16.69 percent; the number of students graduated from senior high school was 4,581,200, increasing 743,600 or 19.38 percent.

The number of full-time teachers of senior high school was 1,070,600, rising 124,600 over 2002. The ratio between teachers and students at the school was 1:18.35, higher than 1:17.80 of the previous year. The qualification rate of high school teachers was 75.71 percent, rising 2.84 percentage points. 73.84 percent of senior high schools had their sport fields or gymnasium reach targeted area; 74.07 percent of high schools had their sport instruments and facilities meet the requirement; 65.87 and 65.63 percent of the schools had their musical instruments and fine art fittings reached the target respectively; 78.73 percent of the schools had their mathematical and experimental instruments reach the target; 44.76 percent of the schools had campus nets.

There were 1,317 adult high schools, decreasing 146 from 2002; the students at school were 218,500, decreasing 116,700; students graduated from the adult high school were 164,800, decreasing 73,300 from the previous year. 

There were 14,700 secondary vocational schools (including general secondary specialized schools, vocational high schools, technical schools and adult specialized schools) in the country, decreasing 1,137 from the previous year; the number of enrolled students was 5,157,500, increasing 422,100; the number of students studying at the school was 12,567,300, increasing 659,200.

The number of general secondary specialized schools in the country was, 3,065, increasing 112; the number of enrolled students were 1,838,800, increasing 285,700; the students studying at school were 5,023,700, rising 460,200. The students graduated from the school were 1,484,500, rising 43,000 over 2002. The number of teachers and staffs was 347,000, decreasing 34,500. The number of full-time teachers were 198,600, decreasing 9,200.

There were 5,800 vocational high school in the country, decreasing 600; the number of students enlisted to the school was 1,972,600, increasing 99,000; the number of students studying at school was 4,557,600, increasing 276,300 over the previous year. The students graduated from the school were 1,126,700, decreasing 89,400. The full-time teachers at the school were 257,900, decreasing 14,800. The qualification rate of the full-time teachers reached 59.39 percent, rising 5.89 percentage points.

There were 2,970 technical schools in China in 2003, decreasing 105; the number of enrolled students to the schools was 916,400, increasing 183,100. The number of students at school was 1,931,400, rising 401,500; students graduated from the school were 473,100, declining 1,700. The number of teachers and staffs was 202,200, decreasing 1,200; there were 153,000 full-time teachers, increasing 27,000.

There were 2,823 specialized secondary schools for adults, decreasing 650 from 2002; the number of enlisted students was 429,800, decreasing 145,700; the number of students at school was 1,054,500, decreasing 478,900; and the students graduated from the schools were 400,300, decreasing 288,300.

There were 1,000 people registered for taking part in the examination for self-taught courses of secondary school education with 10 receiving diploma. 

Higher Education

In 2003, there were 2,110 universities and colleges, increasing 107 over the previous year. The general universities and colleges were 1,552, rising 156. Of the universities, 111 were affiliated to ministries or departments of the central government. There were 558 universities or institutes for adults, decreasing 49. Of them, 19 were affiliated to ministries or departments of the central government, decreasing 1. China had 720 universities or institutes eligible to provide courses for graduate study, including 407 universities and 313 scientific research institutes.

The enrollment size of higher education remained on the rapid increase. In 2003, the total students at higher education were more than 19 million and the rough enrolling rate reached 17 percent. China enlisted 268,900 graduates, rising 66,300. Of the number, 48,700 for doctor degrees and 220,200 for master degrees. The total number of graduates at study was 651,300, rising 150,300, including 136,700 for doctor degrees and 514,600 for master degrees. The number of graduates that completed study and left school was 111,100, rising 30,300 over 2002. Of the number, 18,800 were graduates with doctor degrees and 92,300 with master degrees.

The number of enrolled students for three-year college and four-year university education was 3,821,700, increasing 616,700 or 19.24 percent. There were 11,085,600 students at universities and colleges in the country, increasing 2,052,000 or 22.72 percent over the previous year. The number of students graduated from universities and colleges was 1,877,500, increasing 540,200, or 40.39 percent. The number of students at adult higher education institutes was 5,591,600 (in 2002); and the graduates from the institutes were 1,593,400 in 2003.

The school size of general higher education sector was on the faster expansion. The number of full-time students per school (three-year college and four-year university) rose from 6,471 in 2002 to 7,143 in 2003. The teacher-student ratio in the sector was 1:17 (the students included postgraduates, students studying overseas, students of in-service training, those at night school and having correspondent courses and full-time students at adult universities).

The number of teachers and staffs at universities and colleges was 1,452,600, increasing 149,000. The number of full-time teachers was 724,700, rising 106,300. The teachers and staffs at adult universities were 153,500, decreasing 14,600; the number of full-time teachers was 85,100, decreasing 3,800 from 2002.

There were 11,562,000 people registered for taking part in the examination for self-taught courses of higher education with 705,000 receiving diploma.

Adult Training and Illiteracy-Elimination Education

Adult training education services of various kinds were in full swing. In 2003, more than 3,532,500 adults received training courses in universities and colleges across the country, and the registered students were 2,395,200. There were 230,600 vocational and technical schools in the country; 72,420,800 people were trained at the schools; the registered students were 56,772,200. The number of teachers and staffs in the training schools was 457,200, with full-time teachers being 206,000. The adult technical schools are now larger in size, but their teaching quality and standard are yet to be improved.

There were 26,800 adult junior high schools, decreasing 9,300 from the previous year. The number of students graduated from the school were 1,901,800, decreasing 1,247,000; the number of students studying at the school was 1,862,600, decreasing 1,041,800. The teachers and staffs at the schools totaled 37,700, increasing 1,600; the full-time teachers of the schools were 18,900, increasing 5,300.

In 2003, there were 2,031,400 people who got rid of illiteracy, increasing 286,900; there were still 1,952,200 people attending illiteracy-elimination courses, increasing 178,300. There were 86,300 teachers and staffs engaged in illiteracy-elimination programs, increasing 5,600. The full-time teachers in the program was 28,700, increasing 5,900 over the previous year.

Non-Government Education Sector

The education in non-government sector scored further progress. In 2003, there were 173 general universities in the sector and the students studying in the universities amounted to 810,000; other higher educational institutes were 1,104 with 1,004,000 registered students. The general high schools in the sector were 2,679 and the students studying at the school were 1,413,700; vocational secondary schools were 1,382, and students, 793,800; general junior high schools were 3,651 and students studying in the school, 2,565,700; the number of vocational junior high schools was 53 and the students at school 22,800; the general primary schools in the sector were 5,676 and students at school, 2,749,300; kindergartens, 55,500 and children at the kindergartens were 4,802,300.

Normal Education

In 2003, there were 188 normal universities and colleges across the country. The number of the students studying at school was 1,673,200; the number of enlisted students was 551,700, and students graduated from the school were 325,300. There were 317 secondary normal schools with 317,300 students. The number of enrolled students was 101,300 and the students graduated from the school, 101,800. There were 103 educational colleges with 326,400 students. The number of enrolled students was 123,800 and students graduated from them, 76,500. There were 1,703 in-service training schools for teachers and the students were 182,000. The number of enrolled students at the school was 80,200 and the number of students graduated from the school, 69,900.

In 2003, the qualification rate of teachers at primary school, junior secondary school and senior secondary school was 97.85, 92.04 and 75.71 percent respectively, rising 0.45, 1.64 and 2.81 percentage points over 2002.

The proportion of primary-school teachers with diplomas of three-year college or four-year university to the total reached 40.52 percent, and the proportion of the junior-high-school teachers with diploma of university or graduate school was 23.83 percent, rising 7.42 and 4.13 percentage points over 2002 respectively.

Ethnic Education

In 2003, there were 20,424,600 students of ethnic minorities at schools of various kinds in China, increasing 26 percent over the previous year. Due to the expansion of enrollment to universities and favorable enrollment policies toward ethnic minority groups, the number of the ethnic minority students at universities rose from 541,000 in 2002 to 697,600 in 2003, up 28.9 percent; the number of students in high schools increased from 6,136,100 in 2002 to 6,544,600 in 2003, rising 6.7 percent.

In 2003, the governments at various levels attached great importance to the development of education among ethnic minority groups and they increased input in education. The work of "two basic education plans" (plans for popularizing nine-year compulsory education and eliminating illiteracy among young and middle-aged people) made new progress. By the end of 2003, of the 699 counties in ethnic autonomous regions and prefectures (including ethnic autonomous counties and banners), 405 counties have reached the targets of "two basic education plans", accounting for 57.9 percent of the total. The special policies and measures for the cultivation of ethnic minority talents and supporting development of higher education in ethnic minority group inhabited areas were further improved. There was a stable contingent of full-time teachers of ethnic minorities, which satisfied the requirement for the quality education. The total number of the full-time teachers reached 1,004,300 in the country. Bilingual teaching was enhanced. Some remarkable progress was achieved in the support from inner areas to the development of the education in the ethnic minority group inhabited areas and in the education of unity among ethnic groups in primary and secondary schools

Ideological and Ethic Education

In May 2003, the Ministry of Education issued the experiment draft of Standard for Ideological and Ethic Education Curricula for full-time compulsory education. Thus, the standard for all ideological and ethic education for compulsory education was fulfilled. To implement the guideline of the 16th CPC National Congress on ideological and ethnic education among teenagers and the State Council on education for prevention of AIDS and drug, and on environment, the ministry organized experts to formulate the outline for the education on prevention of AIDS among students at middle and primary school and that for the education on prevention of drug, and that for environment. The outlines were printed and issued in February 2003.

Enrollment of Graduates

In 2003, China has enlisted 269,697 graduates for Master- and Doctor-degree studies (not including those enlisted into military universities and students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), increasing 34.46 percent over 2002.

In 2003, about 100,000 students registered for the examination for Ph. D. study, rising 20.5 percent. 48,899 were enlisted into Ph. D. programs, rising 29.1 percent over 2002.

771,000 students registered in the examination for Master degree studies, rising 28.3 percent over 2002. Of them, 372,500 were graduates from universities, accounting for 40.5 percent of total graduates of the universities.

In 2003, 220,798 graduates for Master degree were enrolled. Of them, 125,000 were university graduates of the year, accounting for 56.6 percent; 95,800 were in-service employees and people from other sectors. According to disciplines, students majoring in philosophy were 2,384; economics, 11,522; law, 16,581; education, 6,524; literature, 17,044; history; 2,812; science, 25,395; engineering, 85,198; agriculture, 7,798; medicine, 20,633; military science, 86; management, 24,821.

In 2003, 2,153 students from Hong Kong and Macao SAR and Taiwan Province applied for the examination for graduate study in the mainland, rising 17.8 percent over 2002. 1,497 students were enlisted, rising 104.8 percent over 2002. Studying Abroad

In 2003, there were 117,300 Chinese students going overseas to study (of the number, 2.56 percent sent by the state, 4.39 percent sent by public institutions and 93.05 percent on self-support). 20,100 students returned to China after they completed their study. Of the 527,400 students studying or studied abroad, 356,600 are continuing their study abroad, or engaging in cooperative research and academic visiting programs (with 36.45 percent in America, 28.06 percent in Europe, 22.01 percent in Asia, 12.89 percent in Oceania, 0.59 percent in Africa).

From 1978 to 2003, the total number of Chinese students studying abroad reached 700,200 while the number of returned ones was 172,800. The countries for Chinese students to study reached 108. 

Vocational Education

In 2003, the central government increased investment in vocational education and they have invested 750 million yuan into the education. More than 300 vocational institutes and colleges benefited from the support. Local governments continued to support the development of vocational education and expand the size of the education. According to statistics, in 2003, the secondary vocational school enlisted 4,844,400 students, increasing about 150,000 students over 2002. There were 11.82 million students at school, basically the same with the previous year. The secondary vocational schools provided various training services for 5.58 million people in society, which brought about a basic change in unitary mode of diploma education of the vocational school and an innovation in vocational education system. Meanwhile, the size of per secondary vocational school rose from 733 students in 2002 to 820 students in 2003, increasing about 90. While the secondary vocational education is on the development, higher vocational education continued to grow fast. In the years, the enrollment to higher vocational education reached 2 million and the students at school amounted to 4.8 million, increasing larger proportions over the previous year.