Late in the Qing a consen sus quickly emerged to establish schools around the country, because in the broad expanse of China, with the exception of a few municipal or county schools established to prepare students for the imperial examinations, there were no schools and the vast majority of the public was illiterate.
廣設學校，很快成為晚清大夫的共識，因為廣大中國除了少數為科舉而設的州學縣學外，大多數民眾是不識字的。