Education in China
Education in China is a state-run system of public education run by the Ministry of Education. All citizens must attend school for at least nine years, known as the nine-year compulsory education, which is funded by the government. Compulsory education includes six years of primary education, starting at age six or seven, and three years of junior secondary education (junior middle school) for ages 12 to 15. Some provinces may have five years of primary school but four years for junior middle school. After junior middle school, there are three years of senior middle school, which then completes the secondary education.
Private and public schools in China
Schools can be fully subsidized by the government in the People's Republic of China. These are public schools. Schools can also be partly subsidized by the government. That means that parents have to pay tuition fees and other fees required by the school. Other schools are fully private schools, meaning that the schools are not subsidized by the government. The introduction of private schools was an attempt by the government to increase the number of literate population. Private schools can claim the same legal status as public schools. Private schools are thought to require a high standard of service.