Overview of Private Education Development in Modern China

Abstract

It is not surprising that private education is gaining importance in China given the overall context of huge national efforts toward building up a “socialist market economy.” However, the fast growth rate in both the quantities and the qualities of profitable private schools in a socialist society is beyond what people usually expect. This paper looked into the modern history of private education in China and found that such a huge resurgence of private education is rooted in the heritage of private education in the Chinese society. Private schools were the precursor of modern Chinese education. They played an important role in the country for most of the time. When the government policy became more flexible and household income increased substantially, such a heritage revived and becomes a stimulating factor in the education sector.