History of education in China

The history of education in China began with the birth of the Chinese civilization. Nobles often set up educational establishments for their offspring. Establishment of the Imperial examinations (advocated in the Warring States period, originated in Han, founded in Tang) was instrumental in the transition from an to a government. Education was also seen as a symbol of power; the educated often earned significantly greater incomes.

Education was one of the most likely ways for citizens to obtain urban Hukou status, however the difficulty of the entrance exams kept many children with rural Hukou status from progressing. If a child was successful they would be immediately granted urban Hukou status upon admission into high school. Attending high school made it more likely that they would have the opportunity to take China's college entrance exam. Succeeding at the exam and progressing to college made it very likely that the student would obtain a good job, however failure meant that they would return to the countryside, where they would revert back to rural Hukou and peasant status.

The schools to teach the youth nobles were divided into "lower" and "upper". The government founded five national schools to educate Six Arts of junior nobles. It depended on the education of the person, not the government.

At that time, numerous different schools enrolled the students. The most famous one was the Confucianism and its leader Confucius was seen as the founder of education for the masses. One of his sayings was "Provide education for all people without discrimination". Another was "Teach according to the student's ability".

The different schools were often organized into political entities to gain social influence. The most strict system of education belonged to Mohists. Rival scholars were invited to courts; governmental sponsorship led to the development of the first Chinese academies. Importance of education and respect to the teachers was stressed in the Annals of Lü Buwei.

Emperor Wu of Han favored Confucianism and made it as the national educational doctrine. In 124 BC, The Origins of Statecraft in China was set up to turn out civil servant for the state, which taught the Five Classics of Confucianism. The traditional Chinese attitude towards education followed Mencius's advice that "Those who labor with their minds govern others; those who labor with their strength are governed by others." Students selected to gain a government post upon mastering a classic. By 25 CE, the Taixue had an enrollment of 30,000 students, 7,000 faculty, 240 buildings, and 1,850 rooms. Confucian scholars set up their private schools as well.

...
Wikipedia