Situated along the South-east coast of China and at the southern end of the Grand Canal of China (also known as Jinghang Grand Canal), Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Porvince and the center of politics, economy and culture. Under its jurisdiction are eight districts and five counties and cities, which cover an area of 16596 square kilometers with a population of over 6.29 million. Hangzhou is a famous national tourist city with cultural civilization and history and has been reputed as “ City of Culture” and “Paradise on Earth”. As one of the seven ancient Chinese capitals，Hangzhou is not only known for its talents, but also for beautiful landscape and comfortable climate. Since ancient times, it has aroused much appreciation and expectation among the literary gents and great minds.
As one of the cradle-lands of Chinese culture, Hangzhou has never been short of men of wisdom and talent, and has always been strongly promoting respects for teachers and education. Hangzhou boasts a long history of education. It witnessed a progression from the construction of Zhou Xue (institute of the prefecture) in Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960--1127) to the establishment of the many national educational institutes and complete curriculums in Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1127--1279), including Guo Zi Jian (the then state-run higher educational institute), and from the great development of the Shu Yuan (academy) during Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties to the establishment of the modern educational system in Hangzhou. The city now has a wide collection of talents of in different fields and a continuingly perfecting system of teaching and education. It has produced a number of well reputed schools and cultural persons both at home and abroad. The former include Qiu Shi Academy (Zhejiang University), Yang Zheng Academy (Hangzhou No.1 High School), Chong Wen Academy (Shengli Primary School), Zhejiang No.1 Teachers School (Hangzhou Teachers School) and National Art School (China Academy of Art). The latter include the famous scholars of Gong Zizhen, Yu Yue, Chen Junru, Chen Shutong, Zhou Shuren, Xia Gaizun, Li Shutong, Chen Wangdao, Zhu Ziqing, Ye Shengtao, Lin Fengmian, Zhu Kezhen, and Ma Yinchu. They started schools or gave lectures in Hangzhou. Apart from them are the well known men of letters such as Mao Dun, Zhang Tianyi, Feng Xuefeng, Xia Yan and Rou Shi, over 40 scientists and members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering such as Jiang Lifu, Chen Jiangong, Ding Shunnian, Chen Yuqi, Li Zhengwu, Cheng Chunshu, Wu Zukai, and the famous artists such as Feng Zikai, Pan Tianshou and Hua Junwu. They all graduated from a high school or a teachers school in Hangzhou. In history, the talented people who received their education in Hangzhou have provided many notable contributions to the development in politics, economy, culture and sciences on their local and state levels.
Since the foundation of new China, particularly after the introduction of reform and opening up, the education in Hangzhou has undertaken a rapid and smooth development and achieved remarkable success. It takes the first position in Zhejiang Province to have implemented a 15-year elementary education system ranging from pre-schools to high schools. With that, it has established a modern system of national education including preschool education, nine-year compulsory education, senior high school education and higher education, which is further divided into vocational education and adult education. In an addition, the education in Hangzhou has built up a multi-system for running schools with the government playing the main role and the social forces the minor. In its outcome, the numbers of schools, subjects, teachers and students have all multiplied. By 2004 in Hangzhou there were 1,098 kindergartens with 186,472 kids, 897 primary schools with 447,971 pupils, 303 junior high schools with 252,291 students, 81 senior high schools with 115,303 students and 90 vocational schools with a student number of 145,449. There were also 36 colleges and universities with over 230,000 students, and 9 adult educational institutes with 25,108 students. Hangzhou has witnessed a rapid general growth in the teaching level of primary and high schools. There are now 12 key secondary vocational schools at the national level. At the provincial level are 42 key senior high schools, 4 key comprehensive senior high schools, and 30 key secondary vocational schools. They occupy over 65% of all the senior high schools and secondary vocational schools.
Our country’s current educational laws, regulations and policies have specifications for education receivers and school systems of different levels and different kinds. The three-year preschool education is for three to six year olds; the nine-year compulsory education is provided to six to fifteen year olds; the three-year senior high school education, including general high schools and secondary vocational schools, are accessible to fifteen to seventeen year olds; while the higher education offers a four year study at universities to seventeen to twenty-one year olds and a three year study at junior colleges to seventeen to twenty year olds. Abiding by the principle of “administration and running of schools at different levels” made by the State Council, the governments and education bureaus of Hagnzhou municipality, its districts and the counties and cities under its jurisdiction, shall take the responsibilities for running basic education schools. Of them, Hangzhou municipal government and its department of education administration shall be responsible for senior high school education and the others for preschool education and nine-year compulsory education. | |