China adapting Online Learning on a large scale Facilities to Educate its Citizens

China prides in its education system. The Chinese government promotes State Run Public Education for all its citizens. It is compulsory for all citizens to attend school for a minimum of 9 years. According to the Ministry of Education, primary school has a 99% attendance rate whereas primary and middle schools boast of 80% attendance.

In 1985, the government of China went ahead and did away with tax – funded higher education o that the candidates applying in Universities compete for scholarships depending on their academic performance. Private Education was introduced for the first time in China in the early 1980’s.

Chinese spending has grown by 20% per year since 1999, now reaching over $100bn, and as many as 1.5 million science and engineering students graduated from Chinese universities in 2006. China published 184,080 papers as of 2008.

{Source: Su, Xiaohuan (28 March 2011), China 'to overtake US on science' in two years, BBC World News}

Image Courtesy : Reuters

History of Online Education in China:

With the contribution from big investors in the field of Online Education, the education industry is booming right now. The candidates staying in far off places and under developed areas are the ones who have benefitted the most from Online Education. Even all the working people who could not pursue their higher education, online learning proved to be a boon for them.

The Ministry of Education has approved 68 ordinary schools of higher learning and the Central Radio and TV University to pilot modern distance education. By the end of 2003, these schools had established 2,027 off-campus learning centers around China, offering 140 majors in ten disciplines, and had a total enrollment of 1.373 million.

The gradual spread of broadband technology has also helped online education. The China Education and Research Network (CERNET), started in 1994, is now China's second largest Internet network, covering all major cities of China. The high-speed connection between it and the China Education Broadband Satellite Net, opened in 2000, established a "space to earth" transmission platform for modern distance education, and provided an all-round network supporting environment for distance education.

{Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China#Adult_and_online_education}

2011 has marked the rise of Online education and training in China which reached CNY60 billion. And if we are to go by the trend then it will reach CNY72.3 billion in 2012.

By the end of 2011, the number of China education enterprises listed in America is 11 (including Global Education & Technology Co., Ltd. which acquired by Pearson Education Group and is about to cease trading). China Cast Education Corporation logins OTCBB via SPAC then turns to NasdaqGS; CEU belongs to backdoor listing; the rest nine education enterprises belong to IPO and the total financing is $ 915 million, the total market capitalization is approximate $ 5.3 billion. China Edu Corporation, China Cast Education Corporation, CEU, China Distance Education Holding Ltd., GEDU, New Oriental, Xueersi, Ambow and ATA have opened online education and training business except for Xueda and Noah. The former nine enterprises' businesses also cover parenting education, entrance examination coaching, language training, network higher education, vocational certification training, corporate E-learning and online education services.

{Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/03/5026792/research-on-online-education-and.html}

According to statistics, in China, over 90% of primary and secondary school students and their parents have an urgent demand for education service with low-cost, high-quality and sustainable development. More than 75% of the workers are under various degrees of continued training; more than 50% of enterprises managers take initiatively participate in professional learning and training; 45 % of young people are learning foreign language. The total number of people who need high-quality education and training resources across the country reached 380 million. If 30% of them have the online education training conditions, the annual per capita consumption of online education and training is CNY600, the total market space is CNY70 billion.

{Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/03/5026792/research-on-online-education-and.html}

The current prevailing scenario in China is ideal for online education. It is an era where education plays a pivotal role in shaping and changing the future of a country. And China regards Online Education as an important means to promote the overall development of the country.