Dramatic Social changes

and Higher Education

Reforms in China

Wang Yingjie

Beijing Normal University

wangyj@bnu.edu.cn

1. Changes in national economy2. Changes of government roles3. Transformation of a Closed Society into an

Open Society4. Changes in Family

Dramatic Changes of Chinese Society

1. Transformation from planning economy to market economy

2. Fast growth: the average annual growth rate of GDP is 7.8% between 1978 and 2012.

Changes in national economy

The proportions of labor force working in the primary, secondary and third industry were respectively 14.39%, 45.15% and 40.46% in 2001, and they changed to 10.12%, 46.78%, and 43.10% in 2011.

3. Flowing of Labor Force

The knowledge-based economy had its first step in China.

Enterprises have to turn labor-intensive mode of production into the technology-intensive one.

4. Transformation of Production Modes

The gap of development levels between coastal and frontier areas is enlarging.

The income difference between urban and rural areas and among different social groups is getting worse.

5. Unbalanced Development and Enlarged Income Gap

1. The policy making process is more decentralized.

2. The government confines its roles to making policy and providing supervision, guidance or service.

Transformation of Government Roles

1. China shares 11.1% of the world total amount of import and export in 2012.

Transformation of a Closed Society into an Open Society

2. The internet has been widely used.

Coca-Cola is one of the most popular soft drinks. McDonald and Kentucky Fried Chicken are widely spread over China. Nike shoes and fashion blue jeans are new fashions.

Hollywood movies, Korean pop singers, Japanese cartoons and game software are very popular among youngsters.

3. American living style and Western culture also came in.

1. Declining of Population Growth Rate and Shrinking of Family Size

China’s population growth rate has been declining continuously. It was 15.04 ‰ in 1989 and declined to 4.79‰ in 2011.

The average family size was 2.9 in urban areas and 4 in rural areas in 2008.

Changes in Family

2. Increasing of Divorce Rate 9.059million Couples got married and

1.693 million couples divorced in 2012.3. Disposable Family Income Increased The disposable income per capita in

urban areas was 1374 yuan in 1989 and 24565yuan in 2012, and the net income per capita was 602 yuan in rural areas in 1989 and 7917 yuan in 2012.

School Structure of China

1. Huge size There are 2358 regular colleges and universities,

68.881 thousand general secondary schools, 13.872 thousand vocational secondary schools, and 257.41 thousand primary schools in 2010.

There are 23.856 million college and university students, 77.032 million general secondary school students, 22.385 million vocational secondary school students, and 99.407 million primary school pupils in 2010.

There are 1.343 million college instructors, 5.042 million general secondary school teachers, 309 thousand vocational secondary school teachers, and 5.617 million primary school teachers in 2010.

Context for Higher Education Development in China

The net enrollment rate of primary school reached 99.7% in 2010.

The promotion rates of primary school graduates and lower secondary school graduate were respectively 98.7% and 87.5% in 2010.

The gross enrollment rate of higher education was 24.2% in 2009.

2. Great Achievement

The public expenditure on education has been 2.3% of GNP, and was 4% of GDP in 2012.

The world best schools can be found in coastal areas, but there are collapsing classrooms and schools without basic equipments in frontier areas. The enrollment rates at higher education level vary greatly among different areas.

3. Severe Lack of Fund and Unbalanced Development

Current-fund Expenditure per college Student in Some Provinces and

Autonomous Regions (2008) (in yuan)

Schooling is a means of transmitting national culture, but meanwhile is restricted by the national culture.

The unique mission of schools is to pass examinations.

The main focus of instruction is to transmit systematically knowledge.

The society and schools all believe that forced learning is necessary.

Teachers are in the center of learning process.

3. Long cultural traditions

Challenges and problems

Uneven distribution of access throughout the nationBalance between quantity and qualityRising of enrollment and declining of the supporting ability of the governmentEmployment of graduates

211 Project—100 top universities for the 21st century

985 Project—special support for those institutions with the potential to be world- class universities

Peking and Tsinghua Fudan, China University of Science and Technology,

Harbin University of Technology, Nanjing, Shanghai Jiaotong, Xi’ an Jiaotong, Zhejiang

Beijing Normal, Nankai, Sichuan, Xiamen, etc. for total of 38

Building World-class Universities

Examples of Special Government Grants (985 Project)

First three-year round of funding Peking and Tsinghua--$225M ($75M per

year)

In 2003, Peking University annual operating budget was about $250M, so $75M more was an increase of 30%

Challenges and problems Accountability vs. autonomy Quantity vs. quality (elite or mass?) Comprehensiveness vs. special focus Efficiency vs. collegiality Within or beyond ivory tower

Tuition has been charged since 1995. The funding sources have been diversified. Private higher education institutions have

been developed very fast.

Commercialization of Higher Education

Current-fund Revenue of Institutions of Higher Education by sources(2010)

Changes i n Revenue Sources(1998- 2005)

0. 0%

10. 0%

20. 0%

30. 0%

40. 0%

50. 0%

60. 0%

70. 0%

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

year

reve

nue

governments

soci al organi zat i onsi ndi vi dual sdonat i ons gi f t s

tut i on f ee

others

Challenges and problems The nature and missions of higher education

institutions Subsidy system for poor students Collegiate environment Unbalanced development among different

fields. Government role in the development of

higher education

Academic power versus administration power

Faculty appointment system Contract system “Up or out” policy Faculty assessment and merit pay

Reforms of higher education administration system

Challenges and problems Selection and roles of presidents Erosion of department power Depression of faculty

Offering majors according to market demands

Adoption of credit system Strengthening general education Offering more elective courses Putting students in the center of learning

process

Curriculum and instructional reforms

Challenges and problemsUniversity’s central mission: teaching or

research? Students’ high demands versus faculty

inertia Fast social changes versus college inertia Students’ long term needs versus their

employment need

China must produce more people who have an international understanding and appreciate cultural differences among nations.

China has to face the challenges brought by the flowing of the educational resources across national borders.

China has to adopt international standards and learn the international language.

What is the role of the university in maintaining the national identity?

Internationalization of higher education

Data on learners studying abroad and returnees in 1998 and 2004

Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Number of returnees 7,379 7,448 9,121 12,243 18,000 20,100 25,100

Number of learners studying abroad 17,622 23,749 38,989 83,973 125,000 117,300 114,700

Percentage (%) 41.88 31.36 23.49 14.58 14.40 17.14 21.83

Table 1. Enrolment of International Students in China by Levels of Education (1998 – 2004)

year TotalI

Number of students pursuing bachelor degrees II

II/I ( %) Number of graduate students III

III/I (%)

1998 43,084 11,362 26.4 2,757 6.4

1999 44,711 11,479 25.7 2,896 6.5

2000 52,150 13,703 26.3 3,251 6.2

2001 61,869 16,650 26.9 3,571 5.8

2002 85,829 21,055 24.5 4,247 5.0

2003 77,715 24,616 31.7 5,034 6.5

2004 110,844 31,616 28.5 5,815 5.2

Challenges and problemsInternationalization or AmericanizationInternationalization vs. localizationInternational perspectives vs. local solutionglobal villager vs. national identity

The Chinese society is changing dramatically, but higher education institutions can not match the changes or meet the demands of people. There is an urgent need for higher educational reform.

Conclusion