China
In February 2006, the government pledged to provide completely free nine-year education, including textbooks and fees. Annual education investment went from less than US$50 billion in 2003 to more than US$250 billion in 2011. However, there remains an inequality in education spending. In 2010, the annual education expenditure per secondary school student in Beijing totalled ¥20,023, while in Guizhou, one of the poorest provinces in China, only totalled ¥3,204. Free compulsory education in China consists of primary school and junior secondary school between the ages of 6 and 15. In 2011, around 81.4% of Chinese have received secondary education. By 2007, there were 396,567 primary schools, 94,116 secondary schools, and 2,236 higher education institutions in China.
Chinese government award for outstanding self finance students abroad
The Chinese government award for outstanding self-financed student study abroad was established by the China Scholarship Council in 2003. The worldwide recipients are chosen annually based on a record of outstanding accomplishments in any discipline. This award is considered the highest award given by Chinese government to the graduate student study outside China, who do not receive financial support from Chinese government. To date,the recipants include students from 33 countries, including United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia and Canada.