This article analyzes rural middle school students' tracking intentions (academic high school, vocational high school, or going to work), actual education choices, and the factors affecting them, using a random sampled baseline survey and follow-up survey of 2,216 second-year students residing outside of county seats in forty-one impoverished…

With the advancements of nine years of universal compulsory education, the development of China's basic education has resulted in new demands aimed at improving the overall quality of basic education in rural areas. Closings and consolidation are important measures in this regard. In the process of merging and consolidation, the construction…

Based on investigations in six midwestern provinces/autonomous regions, Hubei, Henan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia, this article analyzes the reasons for problems in the process of consolidating rural schools and their solutions.

After a brief review of the achievements and the problems in compulsory education enrollment in the thirty years since the reform and opening up, this study analyzes the current compulsory education enrollment and dropout rates in China's least-developed regions and the factors affecting school enrollment based on survey data from a small sample…

The reforms of middle and primary school teaching that have been launched in mainland China over the past thirty years have been manifested in different ways and in different periods of time. The first to appear were localized and scattered teaching reforms oriented toward efficiency, after which commenced explorative teaching experiments in…

In an attempt to give a general but critical review of school-based curriculum development (SBCD) in China's new curriculum reform (NCR), this article discusses at length some issues remaining in SBCD, including misconceptions in Chinese discussions about SBCD, most significantly, the Chinese literal expression of the policy statement on…

Response to the implementation of the new curriculum reforms varies by regional context. A study of the effects of reform implementation on basic education in rural Gansu contributes to understanding the reforms in resource-constrained environments in China. Drawing on rich data from linked teacher, principal, student, and county administrator…

There have been ongoing discussions about the most recent curriculum reform in China. The new curriculum aims at a more quality-oriented ("suzhi") education and producing more well-rounded citizens to meet the challenges of global competition. However, it is questioned how "suzhi" education is possible with entrance examination still being the…

Starting in 2000, the state began to set up interior-region Xinjiang senior middle school classes (the Xinjiang Class) in developed cities in China's interior ("neidi"). Cross-cultural adaptation is a very important issue for students from Xinjiang if they are to study and live in China's interior regions. Based on the perspective of cultural…

The Mongolian language in Ningcheng county is in a state of endangerment. In endangered Mongolian (Harqin dialect) communities, the family is the mother-tongue source, whereas society is the Han-language source, and under normal circumstances the actual language use by members of the community approaches the median of the use of both languages.…

In this article, the author presents his survey on contemporary idol worship (idolatry) which is a new turn in mankind's phenomenon of social idol worship and an important manifestation of the cultural reconfiguration of contemporary times. The principal group of persons presently engaged in idol worship consists of children and young people.…

In a special interview, Vice Director Zhu Muju of the Basic Education Department of the Ministry of Education in China, talks of environmental education. In this interview, the director discusses: (1) how environmental education classes are offered in elementary and middle school; (2) environmental education teaching materials should be designed…

This article presents the historical review of environmental education in China. As China's economy began to grow, environmental pollution and ecological destruction initially appeared locally in the early 1980s. These local environmental issues were primarily managed and controlled by state and local environmental protection agencies. In…

In this article, the author discusses the crucial role that a school principal plays in spearheading environmental education. In the execution of environmental education, the principal is not merely a passive supporter and participant; he should go further to be an initiator. The principal must take the initiative and, using his own ideas and his…

This article is all about the integration of environmental education to the middle school mathematics in China. To raise environmental awareness and improve environmental quality, environmental education is a must. Environment-related materials can be found in middle school algebra and geometry textbooks. In order to provide environmental…