Portraits of Chinese Schools

This book unravels the mysteries of the Chinese school system to enable international scholars to better understand the logic of basic education in China. By collecting the latest, first-hand empirical data, it outlines a panoramic and vivid portrait of Chinese schools from principals’, teachers’, students’ and parents’ perspectives, including descriptions of their daily lives. It also interprets different stakeholders’ duties and explains the unique characteristics and operation model of Chinese schools. It is of interest to all those who are concerned with the current situation and the future of the Chinese school system and basic education in China, especially international researchers, policymakers, and parents wanting to know what is really happening in schools.

“The book illustrates the highly structured nature of Chinese schools and gives detailed information on exam-oriented education … . This book is a fascinating read for those interested in the current situation and characteristics of the Chinese school system at basic education level.” (Kenglin LAI and Jing LIN, Frontiers of Education in China, Vol. 12 (3), 2017)

Professor. GU Mingyuan, the distinguished professor at Beijing Normal University and a member of the National Education Advisory Committee, as well as the Emeritus President of the Chinese Society of Education, is one of the founders of comparative education in China. For 60 years he has adhered to the principle of "Based on China and Broaden Eyes to the Whole World" and is active in education research. He successively finished more than 600 articles and 40 books. Significant works include LU Xun’s Educational Thoughts and Practices (published in both Chinese and Japanese), Comparative Education, The Cyclopedia of Education, Education in the USSR After World War II, National Cultural Traditions and Education Modernization, Education in China and Abroad: Perspective from a Lifetime in Comparative Education, Cultural Foundations of Chinese Education, Chinese Education Encyclopedia, and etc. Professor Gu Mingyuan has not only made great achievements in educational theory but also has hada significant impact in the field of educational practice. He participated in and witnessed almost all of the major education reforms in the 60 years since the founding of the New China, while persistently spreading the love of education throughout the country. He actively participated in international academic exchange and cooperation and achieved great achievements in teaching, research and social service. His outstanding contributions achieved a high degree of recognition in both domestic and foreign academic circles. In 2001 he received an honorary Doctorate of Education from the Hong Kong Institute of Education, and was named Honorary Professor by the Teachers College of Columbia University in 2008. In 2009 he received honorary doctorate degrees from both the University of Macau and Soka University of Japan. In 2014 Professor Gu was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Wu Yuzhang Foundation, the most influential award in the field of social science in China.

Dr. Ma Jiansheng, professor of comparative education in IICE, also serves as director of Graduate Education Research Center in BNU. He received his PhD in Comparative Education from Beijing Normal University. His main research interests include principles of education, comparative education, and educational policy. He published more than 20 books and over 100 articles in the field of higher education, internationalization of education and etc. His academic achievement was highly recognized by the academy and was awarded the second prize in the 10th, 11thand 12thBeijing Outstanding Award in Philosophy and Social Sciences, the second and third prize respectively in the 8th and 7th Liaoning Outstanding Award in Philosophy and Social Sciences. He is also a wonderful teacher and won the second prize of the 8th Huo Yingdong Education Fund Youth Teacher Award, the second prize of the National Teaching Achievement and the first prize of the Beijing Outstanding Education and Teaching Award. In 2010, he was named one of the most recognized teachers in Beijing higher education institutions. In 2013, he won the BaoGang Excellent Teacher Award.

Dr Teng Jun serves as an associate professor, deputy director of Institute of International and Comparative Education, Beijing Normal University, and also teaches at Teachers College, Columbia University as an adjunct associate professor. She engaged in comparative education research for quite a long time. Her research area mainly focuses on international organizations and global education governance, international education, development studies in education, 21st century skills and global competences. She has quite rich research experiences in more than 20 national key research projects, and publishes more than 60 papers in peer review journals. Besides, as a comparative education scholar, she also devotes herself to various international education exchanges and cooperation efforts to promote mutual understanding and better communication between China and international community.