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China Alternative Forms
Schools have been established by government departments,
businesses, trade unions, academic societies,
democratic parties (see Glossary),
and other organizations. In 1984 about 70 percent
of China's factories and enterprises supported their own part-time
classes, which often were referred to as workers' colleges. In
Beijing alone, more than ninety adult-education schools with night
schools enrolled tens of thousands of students. More than 20,000 of
these students graduated annually from evening universities,
workers' colleges, television universities, and correspondence
schools--more than twice the number graduating from regular
colleges and universities. The government spent -Y200 (for value of
the yuan--see Glossary)
to -Y500 per adult education student and at
least -1,000 per regular university student. In 1984 approximately
1.3 million students enrolled in television, correspondence, and
evening universities, about a 30-percent increase over 1983.
Spare-time education for workers and peasants and literacy
classes for the entire adult population were other components of
basic education. Spare-time education included a very broad range
of educational activities at all levels. Most spare-time schools
were sponsored by factories and run for their own workers; they
provided fairly elementary education, as well as courses to upgrade
technical skills. Most were on-the-job training and retraining
courses, a normal part of any industrial system. These schools
continually received publicity in the domestic media as a symbol of
social justice, but it was unclear whether they received adequate
resources to achieve this end.
China's educational television system began in 1960 but was
suspended during the Cultural Revolution in 1966. In 1979 the
Central Radio and Television University was established in Beijing
with branches in twenty-eight provincial-level universities. Many
Central Radio and Television University students are recent seniormiddle -school graduates who scored just below the cut-off point for
admission to conventional colleges and universities. Full-time (who
take four courses) and part-time students (two courses) have at
least two years' work experience, and they return to their jobs
after graduation. Spare-time students (one course) study after
work. Students whose work units grant them permission to study in
a television university are paid their normal wages; expenses for
most of their books and other educational materials are paid for by
the state. A typical Central Radio and Television University
student spends up to six hours a day over a three-year period
watching lectures on videotapes produced by some of the best
teachers in China. These lectures are augmented by face-to-face
tutoring by local instructors and approximately four hours of
homework each evening. The major problem with the system is that
there are too few television sets.
In 1987 the Central Television and Radio University had its
programs produced, transmitted and financed by the Ministry of
Radio, Cinema, and Television
(see Telecommunications Services
, ch.
8). The State Education Commission developed its curriculum and
distributed its printed support materials. Curriculum included both
basic, general-purpose courses in science and technology and more
specialized courses. Programs in English-language instruction were
particularly popular. The Central Television and Radio University
offered more than 1,000 classes in Beijing and its suburbs and 14
majors in 2- to 3-year courses through 56 working centers. Students
who passed final examinations were given certificates entitling
them to the same level of remuneration as graduates of regular,
full-time colleges and universities. The state gave certain
allowances to students awaiting jobs during their training period.
Data as of July 1987
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