A Survey of Teacher Education in China

Teacher education is an important part of Chinese socialist education system. In the last 50 years' of development since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the governments at different levels have given priorities and great cares to teacher education. China has established on the whole a teacher education system that meets the needs of basic education of different types and at different levels. This system fits the specific Chinese situation and consists of independent teacher training institutions as the principle parts supplemented by other educational organizations.

Teacher education in China is composed by two parts that is pre-service education and in-service training. Four-year teacher training institutions including normal universities and colleges, three-year teacher training colleges and secondary teacher training schools primarily conduct pre-service education. They train respectively teachers for senior and junior secondary schools and primary schools kindergartens and special education institutions. In-service training is conducted respectively by education institutes and in service teacher training schools for teachers of secondary and primary school (kindergartens).

In addition, education departments in regular higher education institutions and all kinds of teacher training classes including TV programs were also set up to train secondary school teachers. At the same time, in-service training programs for teachers at secondary and primary schools are provided through correspondence education programs, evening schools, satellite TV education, and examinations for self-directed learners.

Basic Statistics of Specialized Teacher Training Schools in 1998

The State Council promulgated Regulations on Teachers Qualification in December 12th, 1995, in which the standards for recruiting teachers are strictly regulated and teachers must have certificates before taking their jobs. Competent persons in the society and graduates of other specialites should be recruited to teach.