Compulsory education is the law for youth in the People's Republic of China (PRC).

After the Cultural Revolution, the slogan of compulsory education was advanced during the period of order out of chaos. It was written into the Constitution of China (1982 Constitution) by Deng Xiaoping and others.

In 1986 the "Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China" was promulgated, and mainland China formally implemented nine years of compulsory education. In 2001, the State Council stated that mandatory nine-year education was universal.

In the PRC all youths must attend school from age six to fifteen, and parents must allow their children to do so and cover the associated costs. Compulsory education is in effect throughout mainland China. Families with financial difficulties can apply for two exemptions and one subsidy plan.

Compulsory education includes ideological and intellectual aspects and is closely related to the national literacy campaign.

Primary and secondary education is free only for public/state schools. Various private primary and secondary schools (including international schools) that charge fees are available in first- and second-tier cities with developed economies); in 2015, the proportion of private schools reached 10%, and the education market exceeded 315 million yuan.

Regulations The Constitution of China, adopted in 1982, stipulates that compulsory education should be implemented in mainland China.

On April 12, 1986, the Sixth National People's Congress's fourth meeting passed the "Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China," which included provisions for nine-year compulsory education.

On June 29, 2006, the 22nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's Congress revised the law, clarifying that the essence of compulsory education should be Quality Education.

Right to free education In the PRC, the right to education has gradually become taken seriously, especially in urban areas where deprivation is considered a serious crime. The Law on the Protection of Minors has provisions related to the right of school-age children to compulsory education.

The starting age for education is six. Absent suspension or repetition midway, children finish compulsory education once they reach fifteen.

In China, the legal minimum age for working is sixteen. Work contracts signed before reaching sixteen have no legal force. Even if children under 16 are recruited in industries such as art and sports, their right to receive compulsory education is guaranteed.

Governments at all levels in China have implemented two exemptions: tuition and miscellaneous fees are exempted, and textbooks are provided free of charge. For those who have financial difficulties paying tuition fees, the "two exemptions and one subsidy plan" policy was implemented. This means that in addition to the exemptions, living expenses are subsidized. However, schools may charge homework fees, school uniform fees, board fees, boarding school accommodation fees, etc., according to the situation.

Features According to the Compulsory Education Law, China's compulsory education has four main features：

It is the obligation of schools, parents, and society to allow school-age children and teenagers to receive education. Whoever fails this obligation violates the law. Parents who do not send their students to school, bear the responsibility. Schools that do not accept school-age children bear the responsibility. Employers who disrupt the education of school-age children to recruit them to work bear the responsibility. The state stipulates that "no tuition fees and miscellaneous fees" are charged during compulsory education. Unified standards are defined for textbook formatting, teaching practices, funding allocation, construction guidelines and means for public funds for students. Education should develop in a balanced manner across each region.

School-running system +School SystemsgradeageNine-year consistent systemMay-four school systemSix-three school systemNinth grade14~15nine-year consistent schooljunior high schoolmiddle schoolEighth grade13~14Seventh grade12~13sixth grade11~12primary schoolFifth grade10~11primary schoolfourth grade9~10Third grade8~9second grade7~8First grade6~7 In China the government predominantly operates the educational institutions that provide compulsory education. Private schools must comply with classification and placement regulations.

In certain higher-level administrative regions, the education authorities may assume direct management of certain public schools. However, the county or city where these schools are located still bears the ultimate responsibility. The administrative duties of private schools are overseen by the pertinent departments in the county or city where they are situated, although the operator assumes responsibility for financing, administration, and faculty.

The compulsory education stage is categorized into three distinct systems: the 6-3 school system, the 5–4 school system, and the nine-year consistent system.

The 6-3 school system, consisting of six years of primary education and three years of middle education was first established during the Beiyang government era. It was derived from the Jenxu school system. Jenxu is the prevailing model, and is the most widespread educational system worldwide. The 5-4 school system, which consists of a five-year primary school and a four-year middle school, is implemented in some areas of the country. The nine-year consistent system is a developing educational and administrative system. Students attend the same school for the entire nine years, during which they are promoted to higher grades but not advanced beyond the school's curriculum.

Elementary school Admission The "Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China" specifies the age at which primary school students are required to start school:

Political education

The "Articles of Association Young Pioneers of China, " revised in 2005, stipulated that the minimum age for joining the organization would be lowered from 7 to 6 years old. Before this revision, the requirement for newly enrolled primary school students was to wear green scarves for six months to one year due to the one-year gap between joining and enrollment. This differentiated them from students wearing red scarves. Students with poor academic performance were also given green scarves.

After the revision of the "Constitution of the Young Pioneers", most elementary school students were compelled to "immediately join the team upon enrollment" and become members of the Chinese Young Pioneers, with few exceptions. Nearly all primary school students are members of the Young Pioneers, numbering 130 million individuals. It is the world's largest pioneer organization.

The Young Pioneers established associations in every primary and middle school throughout the nation. They are structured into brigades, squadrons, and squads. Each team comprises a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 13 individuals, led by a primary team and deputy team leaders. A squadron consists of two or more subunits, and a committee of 3-7 members is established for each. A brigade comprises two or more squadrons, and a committee of 7 to 13 members is established to oversee its operations. Within this group, the team members elect the squad leader, as well as the members of the squadron and brigade committees. Elections are conducted on a semi-annual or annual basis.

In elementary school, squadron committees work in each class to work in conjunction with the class committees, making them nearly indistinguishable. The squad leader, who is typically also the squadron leader, is responsible for overseeing the collective efforts of the class. The squadron committee of the course typically comprises the following roles:

Captain Deputy captain Standard bearer Member of the study committee Member of the labour committee Member of the cultural and entertainment committee Member of the sports committee Member of the organization committee Member of the publicity committee

The squadron is set up under the company, and the squad leader is elected. The brigade is organized as a unit with the primary school, and a dedicated counsellor is assigned to lead it under the guidance of the Communist Youth League Committee of the school.

Curriculum Primary schools generally offer the following courses:

Language. The primary focus of this course is to acquire fundamental knowledge of Chinese characters, pinyin, poetry, classical Chinese, and contemporary Chinese. For example, Chinese textbooks compiled by the People's Education Press in 2017 prioritize teaching Chinese characters before pinyin. 30% of Chinese textbooks is dedicated to ancient poetry and essays, with a greater emphasis on extracurricular reading. A longer classical Chinese report is included in the second semester of fifth grade. The study of contemporary literature provides a solid basis for instructing students in middle school. Math Morality/rule of law. Political courses. Science. The essential content of material science, life science, earth and space science, technology and engineering, and preparing to introduce physics, chemistry, geography, and biology in middle schools. Science courses are taught from the first grade of primary school as an introductory course. Music Art IT Sports & health Labor. Content is divided into daily life labor (cleaning, storage, cooking, etc.), productive labor (agriculture, traditional crafts, new technologies, etc.), and service labor (public welfare volunteering, etc.)

Depending on the actual situation, the following courses may be offered:

Foreign languages. Especially for English, almost all qualified schools in the country offer it in the middle and upper grades (starting from third grade). Good primary schools teach English from first grade. National language. Minority schools operate in ethnic autonomous areas and mixed-inhabited areas. School-based courses, local courses, and extracurricular interest courses.

Since no unified examination applies to graduating from primary school, quality of courses other than Chinese, mathematics, and English vary. Primary schools in rural areas generally offer only Chinese, mathematics, and physical education.

Further studies Primary school students are rarely expelled, and most complete their studies without significant obstacles.

Middle school

Compulsory education continues after primary school. The only means of pursuing higher education is enrolling in a middle school.

Admission In mainland China students gain admission to middle schools through various means:

School choice: Elite middle schools attract and educate outstanding students. However, this method lost popularity. Residency: This is the most widely used system in small and medium-sized cities and rural areas. The procedure involves dividing a county into districts. Within each community, a middle school is designated, and all primary school graduates within the district enrol in that school. Some high-quality middle schools or those near district boundaries may also enrol students from neighbouring communities. In urban areas, parents often seek to purchase properties near high-quality educational resources. This is due to the uneven distribution of such resources. In mountainous regions such as Guizhou, Sichuan, and Shaanxi, schools face limited infrastructure, sparse student population, and absence of school transportation. Students may travel more than ten kilometres on foot to attend school daily. In this instance, many students drop out. Random allocation: In some metropolitan regions, multiple middle schools are close to each other, or many students cannot secure admission to the best schools. Often, students are assigned to schools randomly through an automated system.