EDUCATION

Strategically placing education in primacy to the development of other items, the Chinese government formulated the policy of "developing the country through science and education," constantly deepens the reform of education system, and carries out nine-year free education. Governments at all levels are increasing investments in education, and encourage people to run schools through any channel and manner.

Generally, education in China can be divided into the following stages:

1. Pre-school education for the 3-5 years old children in kindergartens.

2. Primary education for 6-11 years old children. Primary schools are usually run by local educational authorities, and in some cases, by enterprises and individuals.

3. Secondary school provided to 12-17 years old children. Education of this kind is conducted by local governments and various business authorities, and classified as secondary schools or vocational high schools whose graduates hold the same degree studying as graduates senior middle schools and sorts of secondary professional schools whose graduates enjoy some privileges as from colleges. In particular, public secondary schools include junior middle schools and senior middle schools, both of three years' study. Students graduating from junior schools usually go to common senior middle schools, and parts of them go to vocational high schools or secondary professional schools for 3-5 years of studying.

4. Higher education constituted by those for vocational college students, undergraduates, postgraduates and doctoral students. Higher education is performed by universities, colleges, institutes and vocational colleges. These institutes bear the three major tasks of raising courses, doing scientific researches and providing social services.

In China, the Higher Education Institutions are very limited and the competition to enter the universities are very intense. Along with the development of economy, internationalized talents speaking good English are more and more needed Therefore, more and more parents are willing to send their children to study abroad, particularly to English speaking countries. Among them, Australia is most popular one.