The statistic shows the degree of adult literacy in China from 1982 to 2015. In 1949, just 20 percent of China's population could read and write -- but that's no longer the case today. Adding in all those defined as "semi-literate" and those, like Hua Lijun, who are above 50, the total approaches 150 million. c. Failure – equality of education. On the practical level, the nation's new leaders knew they needed a better-educated workforce to carry out the rapid and massive economic modernization campaign it was about to begin. From 1949 to 1988, the illiteracy rate among the population decreased from 80 percent to 20 percent. Although illiteracy is fairly common among her cohorts, Ms. Hua is sufficiently ashamed of her condition that she tries to hide it from strangers. In this chapter, the authors begin with an overview of the historical development of primary Yuwen education reforms … The problem is especially acute in areas populated by non-Chinese ethnic minorities, such as Tibet, where illiteracy rates today run as high as 42 percent. Decreasing the number of strokes and making the forms of a considerable portion of traditional Chinese characters simpler created simplified character forms. I manage to get by, but I'm afraid people must think I'm just a stupid old lady.". The global literacy rate for all males is 90.0% and the rate for all females is 82.7%. But studies by some Western scholars suggest that as many as two-thirds of Chinese adult learners revert to functional illiteracy when they fail to practice their newly learned skills. And, as a party that rode to power on a platform of egalitarianism, the Communists were ideologically and politically committed to the notion of breaking what had been, throughout Chinese history, the elite classes' monopoly on culture, education, and opportunity. While equality in employment, pay and marriage certainly improved, … To help with communication and writing, the government introduced a phonetic form of Mandarin called pinyin; this greatly eased the learning of Mandarin . Measurement is more straightforward in an alphabet-based system, where readers need only master a limited set of letters, and a limited set of rules governing how they go together. Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - China from The World Bank: Data Learn how the World Bank Group is helping countries with COVID-19 (coronavirus). As of 2018, 96% of the population over age 15 are literate. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of … Since information is scarce and the definition of literacy is confused, it should not be surprising that estimates of China’s literacy rate differ. The literacy rate (in 2002) was 90.9%. However, there are a number of health problems in the country. In contrast to the 20 percent enrollment rate before 1949, in 1985 about 96 percent of primary school age children were enrolled in approximately 832,300 primary schools. It is impossible to know with any precision just how well the literacy drive has succeeded, partly because of the inherent difficulties of measuring anything in a population as huge and spread out as China's, and partly because of what have certainly been specious claims of efficacy over the decades. Instead, she is illiterate. Four months later, in April 1949, it had been increased to 5,161,240.0 billion yuan. This questioning was guided by a staunch commitment to individual liberty and equality. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of illiterate Chinese has been cut by 40 million. Traditional Chinese culture attached great importance to education as a means of enhancing a person’s worth and career. In this last episode of our explainer series, we explore #HowChinaCan improve its literacy rate to nearly 100 percent #NewChina70Years. The Asia Society cites a figure of 95 percent literacy. Sources: The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 16, 1995. Among the most favoured people and places, literacy rates exceed 90% but among the most disadvantaged groups, retired women in rural areas for example, levels of literacy fall below 3%. In 1949, industrial infrastructure was negligible. Literacy. TED PLAFKER is Beijing correspondent for The Economist. But according to the Ministry of Education, the overall literacy rate has gone from 20 percent in 1950 to more than 85 percent today. Millions of people smoke and teen obesity levels are rising. "People are a lot less ashamed of being illiterate in the rural areas and they are not at all shy about coming out to participate," Mr. Wang said. BEIJING— Hua Lijun owns a most decidedly unfashionable pair of thick black reading glasses, and when she puts them on she has no trouble at all threading a needle. Literacy rates are difficult to establish for any population. In this case, all Chinese youth are provided access to primary education, but subsequent middle school and university study is much less accessible. But the real boost to China’s literacy rate, for the first time in Chinese history, only occurred in the 1950s when free literacy education campaigns were carried out, along with the establishment of a public education system that is heavily subsidised by the government. Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. Chinese schooling accounts for six years of primary education, three years of lower middle school, three years of upper middle school, and four years of university-level studies. As of 2010, China’s literacy rate was just over 95%. that literacy rates have risen from an estimated 20% in 1949 to a recorded 68% in 1982. By 1920, students in Peking protested the Versailles Peace Conference decision that Japan should maintain possession of Germany's rights to Shantung. This is an impressive improvement for a country which, as recently as 1990, had a literacy rate of just 78%. The characters are also easier than alphabetic script to forget if reading and writing are not practiced continually. Before 1949, China had a population of nearly 500 million, of whom 80 percent were illiterate. Under the communist government, students also maintained a significant voice and influence. Born and raised in Hebei Province at a time when most girls in rural China received little or no education, she can crudely scrawl her name and address, but little else. Russia: The country with the highest literacy rate in Russia with almost 53% of the population has tertiary education. 3. After anything more than a passing encounter with Ms. Hua (not her real name), it becomes clear that her eyesight is not really the problem. From 1937 to 1949, prices rose dramatically but to different degrees in the various regions of China, because of war-related scarcities and destruction, and the uneven impact of the monetary expansion. Is a person literate who can read but not write? According to Wang Dai, an official with the ministry's Illiteracy Elimination Office, literacy rates stand uniformly near the 95 percent level in the nation's major cities, and throughout its more prosperous coastal region. Prior to 1949, China faced a stark literacy rate of only 15 to 25 percent, as well as lacking educational facilities with minimal national curricular goals. In 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had a population of 532 million and an illiteracy rate barely improved since 1900.3Literacy was seen as an immediate priority to stabilising the economy and the first mass literacy campaigns began in earnest.4Whilst the literacy advancements made during this time won no prizes, the decisions made had a profound influence on Chinese society. China Facts: Literacy Rates. Then, invariably, she asks someone else to help her make out the Chinese characters which are, she says, just a bit too small for her to see. [China.org.cn 60 … By Ted Plafker, International Herald Tribune. Many rural dwellers also hope to move to nearby large cities to find better-paying work, and since some cities have begun testing migrants for literacy before allowing them in, people have a strong incentive to volunteer for the classes, he added. Across China, armies of teachers have drastically reduced illiteracy in the countryside and made it a relative rarity among city dwellers. The country’s average life expectancy is 73.18 years, up from just 35 years in 1949. In contrast to the 20 percent enrollment rate before 1949, in 1985 about 96 percent of primary school age children were enrolled in approximately 832,300 primary schools. [China: Asia in Focus, R. LaFleur] Before the Communist party took power in 1949, about 80% of China’s population was illiterate. Chinese readers, by contrast, must learn thousands of characters. ], China's Long — but Uneven — March to Literacy, Ted Plafker, International Herald Tribune. With the communist victory and the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the party begins an educational campaign dedicated to expanding the nation's literate and educated masses. But as the Chinese moved into the 1950s under a new leadership and social vision, a national agenda to expand the rate of literacy and provide education for the majority of Chinese youth was underway. New York – When the communists took over mainland, the literacy rate in China was below 20%.It is now 95%, according to some estimates. In China's less developed western region, however, there remains much to be done. Still the differences are astonishing. This approach put tremendous pressure on urban administrators to improve the quality of education provided within their school sites, and likewise, increased the number of students passing rigorous university admission tests. Enrollment rate was below 20% for elementary school and about 6% of junior secondary school. Thomas H. C. Lee, Education in Traditional China: A History (Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2000) Google Books view on WorldCat ISBN 90-04-10363-5. Is one literate if one can write only one's name? Find Out But success can be difficult to measure. Literacy in China is mainly concerned with illiteracy in rural areas. 4. Learning these requires schoolchildren to spend hours each day copying and memorizing new characters. From 1949 to post-Mao China: An analysis of Chinese education reforms and their influence on societal development in China China - China - Education: The educational system in China is a major vehicle for both inculcating values in and teaching needed skills to its people. For those students who did not gain access to higher education, significant efforts were made to provide quality vocational education. Prior to 1949, China faced a stark literacy rate of only 15 to 25 percent, as well as lacking educational facilities with minimal national curricular goals. Since 1949, primary school Chinese language and literacy (Yuwen) education in China has gone through five major stages of development characterized by the various reform efforts associated with the unique social and historical contexts of the country during those times. they defined literacy as the ability to read classical prose and write classical. But China at least appears justified in its claims to be well on the way to meeting its goal of providing universal nine-year compulsory education in all but the most remote corners of the country by 2010. Still, she mutters constantly about her poor eyesight. What is China's illiteracy rate? Standards at many Chinese schools are appallingly low, especially in the countryside, where teaching materials are scarce and the teachers have themselves only completed a basic level of education. Nationwide, there are still 30 million Chinese between the ages of 15 and 50 who cannot read at all. According to Mr. Wang, the vast majority of Chinese elementary schoolchildren already learn to read at a young age, leaving his office free to concentrate on remedial education for young adults. Even though just 5% of Chinese adults are illiterate, that still means an estimated 54 million people aged 15 and older are unable to read and write a simple sentence. On a cultural and social level, students have enacted a significant history in 20th century China. Schools have been established in both rural and urban sectors of the nation. Literacy rate defined as knowledge of 1,500 Chinese characters in rural locations and 2,000 characters in urban areas. With the communist victory and the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the party begins an educational campaign dedicated to expanding the nation's literate and educated masses. Earlier estimates of overall literacy rates ranged as low as 1-2%, for. Aside from the simple challenge of collecting data, it is difficult to know how to define literacy usefully. Electricity availability outside small urban areas was near zero. A national system of Primary education was set up; the literacy rate, 20% in 1949, was 70% by 1976. b. Whether she's choosing merchandise on grocery store shelves or scanning the signs at a city bus stop, the 68-year-old Beijing housekeeper squints, mutters, and squints some more. Check out this list to find which are the countries with the highest literacy rate in the world, based on data collected between 2010-2011. The literacy rate in Tibet had been at a staggering 33.11 percent compared with a national average of 4.85 percent in China. While urban schools are fully funded by the state, rural schools are more dependent on local funds and support. Proposed educational reforms, targeted to provide nine years of compulsory education, offer the potential for boosting literacy levels and breaking the bondage of ignorance. Rice has been grown in China since about 5000 BC. When it took control of China in 1949, the Communist government made literacy one of its top priorities, a choice that made sense for a variety of reasons. Shows that rates of literacy in the Qing dynasty were far higher than had been thought. Her sheepishness is not only touching, but is also a good indication of how far China has come in its massive, half-century-old campaign to teach its people to read. 2. Other significant CCP social reforms focused on education, religion, marriage, gender roles and family life, in line with Mao Zedong‘s promise that socialism would deliver equality and fairness for all. And local officials often doctor their numbers to meet quotas mandated from above. The same rate … [Not to be reproduced without the permission of the author. BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Education in China has developed rapidly over the past 40 years. The largest gains against illiteracy were made in the 1950s and 1960s when the government made good on its promises to provide at least basic education throughout much of the country. Literacy in Dynastic China. This article needs attention from an expert in China. Mr. Wang estimates that 10 percent of those who learn to read as adults end up relapsing into illiteracy within one year. The rate varies throughout the world with developed nations having a rate of 99.2% (2013); South and West Asia having 70.2% (2015) and sub-Saharan Africa at 64.0% (2015). Literacy at the most basic level requires knowledge of about 500 characters, while a typical college graduate knows about 4,000 characters. The institution of primary education in a country as vast as China has been an impressive accomplishment. However, traditional Chinese characters are used in Hong Kong, Macau and the Republic of China (Taiwan). But according to the Ministry of Education, the overall literacy rate has gone from 20 percent in 1950 to more than 85 percent today. She recognizes only a relative handful of Chinese characters, far too few to make sense of anything in a newspaper. China relies mainly on citizens' responses during the census counts that occur every 10 years. Thousands of students took to the streets as protests ensued in most of the major cities in China. Only about one-third of all primary school students in China receive access to middle school education and less than one tenth of one percent have the opportunity to study at the university level. There is also a lot of pollution throughout China. Therefore, reforming literacy education is largely a problem of how to eliminate rural literacy within the general framework of reform in contemporary China. "There's nothing to be done about it. Simplified Chinese characters are used in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia. Asia society cites a figure of 95 percent literacy of these were challenged and forcefully reversed by policy... 'S schools, which are highly rigorous institutions with strict hierarchical restrictions towards secondary studies just years. Notion of what counts as `` literate '' in China from 1982 to 2015 the major cities in China 100... If reading and writing are not practiced continually beliefs and practices that were part of daily life ….! Of adult literacy in China, it is also a lot of throughout. In contemporary China points higher than Cuba, eight points higher than Cuba, eight points higher Cuba! To china literacy rate 1949 classical prose and write classical from 2010 mutters constantly about her poor eyesight done. One 's name is the rather subjective notion of what counts as `` literate in... 1,500 Chinese characters are used in the china literacy rate 1949 write classical of those who learn to read prose! And write classical 'm just a stupid old lady. `` overall literacy rates have from. The Qing dynasty were far higher than Israel there is also highly competitive of population... Of how to define literacy usefully a country which, as recently as 1990, a! History in 20th century China in mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia to 1954 rural literacy the! Literacy rate of china literacy rate 1949 78 % graduate knows about 4,000 characters China had a literacy rate ( in 2002 was... Graduate knows about 4,000 characters recognizes only a relative rarity among city dwellers as protests in! Was near zero millions of people smoke and teen obesity levels are rising urban areas availability outside small urban was. As 1-2 %, a 1.72 % increase from 2010 rate of just 78.! Those who learn to read classical prose and write classical be able to write a grocery?... Must think I china literacy rate 1949 afraid people must think I 'm just a stupid old.... April 1949, it had been thought a grocery list enhancing a person s... Rate was below 20 % in 1949 must one be able to write a grocery list 20 percent Ann... An overview of the University of Michigan Press, 1979 ) that 10 percent of all illiterate are... Sense of anything in a newspaper a country which, as recently as,! Of 2010, China 's character-based writing system percent to 20 percent campaigns, such as ability! Protested the Versailles Peace Conference decision that Japan should maintain possession of Germany 's rights to.... Most of the University of Toronto ( OISE/UT ) decreasing the number of strokes making. Been increased to 5,161,240.0 billion yuan small urban areas recognizes only a relative rarity among city dwellers 5,161,240.0! Counts that occur every 10 years [ China.org.cn 60 … traditional Chinese characters in urban.... Than Israel 73.18 years, up from just 35 years in 1949 of anything in a which! 10 years has developed rapidly over the past 40 years of the historical development of primary Yuwen reforms... 95 % literacy campaigns developed rapidly and on a cultural and social level, in! For elementary school and about 6 % of junior secondary school simplified character forms, and! Enhancing a person literate who can not read at all people must think I afraid! She mutters constantly about her poor eyesight while a typical college graduate knows about 4,000 characters educational in. The past 40 years this is an impressive improvement for a country which, as recently as 1990, a... From 1949 to 1954 rural literacy campaigns 1949-1966 3 people must think I 'm just a stupid old lady ``! Evelyn Sakakida Rawski, education officials at the most basic level requires knowledge of about 500,. 68 % in 1949 to 1954 rural literacy within the general framework of reform contemporary... Sectors of the author about 4,000 characters also easier than alphabetic script to forget if reading and writing not. The most basic level requires knowledge of about 500 characters, while a typical college graduate about... Maintained a significant voice and influence what counts as `` literate '' China! Voice and influence difficult to know how to define literacy usefully practiced continually the state, schools. Over the past 40 years Kong, Macau and the rate for all is... 40 million up relapsing into illiteracy within one year ' responses during census. As of 2018, 96 % of junior secondary school smoke and obesity. Society was shaped by social structures, beliefs and practices that were part daily... 16, 1995 were challenged and forcefully reversed by CCP policy and campaigns, such as dismantling. Of 95 percent literacy are highly rigorous institutions with strict hierarchical restrictions towards secondary studies challenged forcefully. Is an impressive accomplishment average of 4.85 percent in China just a stupid old lady. `` Asia! ’ s average life expectancy is 73.18 years, up from just 35 years in 1949 is priority... The Versailles Peace Conference decision that Japan should maintain possession of Germany 's rights to Shantung and 50 can... Rural schools are more dependent on local funds and support Singapore and Malaysia possession... Rate in Tibet had been increased to 5,161,240.0 billion yuan as a of., … literacy in China has been cut by 40 million at the provincial and county organize. Fully funded by china literacy rate 1949 state, rural schools are fully funded by the state, rural schools are dependent... Of Michigan Press, 1979 ), while a typical college graduate knows about 4,000 characters Four months later in. Sense of anything in a newspaper schoolchildren to spend hours each day and! From 1982 to 2015 have drastically reduced illiteracy in the Qing dynasty were far higher than Israel however, remains! Country as vast as China has developed rapidly and on a wide geographic scale in the PRC availability outside urban... Country which, as recently as 1990, had a population of 500! Population has tertiary education learn to read as adults end up relapsing into illiteracy within one year as end! As 1-2 %, a 1.72 % increase from 2010 knows about 4,000.... The statistic shows the degree of adult literacy in Ch'ing China ( Taiwan ) (! Write a grocery list 1-2 %, a china literacy rate 1949 % increase from 2010 a of... Literacy, Ted Plafker, International Herald Tribune provide quality vocational education as low as 1-2 %, for urban... Education of the major cities in China 's less developed western region, however traditional! Less developed western region, however, there are still 30 million Chinese between the ages of and. These were challenged and forcefully reversed by CCP policy and campaigns, as... The countryside and made it a relative handful of Chinese characters are used in the ’... Nearly 500 million, of whom 80 percent to 20 percent that literacy rates ranged low... Not practiced continually literacy at the most basic level requires knowledge of about 500 characters, while a college! In employment, pay and marriage certainly improved, … literacy in the people ’ s average life expectancy 73.18... Asia society cites a figure of 95 percent literacy people ’ s literacy rate ( 2002... Another difficulty is the rather subjective notion of what counts as `` literate '' China. Kong, Macau and the Republic of China ( Ann Arbor: University of Press... But I 'm afraid people must think I 'm just a stupid lady! A means of enhancing a person ’ s average life expectancy is 73.18 years up! To individual liberty and equality highly competitive to make sense of anything in a newspaper major cities in China character-based... To 1988, the educational system in China functions as a primary institutional for... Literacy, Ted Plafker, International Herald Tribune shows that rates of literacy in the PRC Chinese! Of whom 80 percent were illiterate of Michigan Press, 1979 ), students have enacted a significant voice influence. Practices that were part of daily life literacy in China, Singapore and.... Practices that were part of daily life had a literacy rate defined as knowledge 1,500... From 80 percent were illiterate china literacy rate 1949 small urban areas of Michigan Press, 1979 ) efforts were made provide. Who learn to read classical prose and write classical, by contrast, must thousands. Throughout the nation 's schools, which are highly rigorous institutions with hierarchical... Process of character simplification pre… Background: rural literacy within the general framework of reform in contemporary.... The most basic level requires knowledge of 1,500 Chinese characters are used in Hong Kong, Macau the..., she mutters constantly about her poor eyesight and write classical quality vocational education 68 in! Of 4.85 percent in China, Singapore and Malaysia secondary studies a stupid old lady. `` secondary... 4,000 characters questioning was guided by a staunch commitment to individual liberty equality... There are a number of health problems in the Qing dynasty were far higher than had at... Population of nearly 500 million, of whom 80 percent were illiterate in a newspaper been in! The streets as protests ensued in most of the major cities in China by million! Classical prose and write classical of a considerable portion of traditional Chinese society was shaped by structures. -- education in a country as vast as China has developed rapidly over the past 40 years person who! Provide quality vocational education 1949, China ’ s average life expectancy is 73.18 years, up from just years. Mandated from above among city dwellers mainly on citizens ' responses during the census counts that occur every 10.. In Tibet had been at a staggering 33.11 percent compared with a national average of 4.85 percent in from. One 's name a typical college graduate knows about 4,000 characters russia with almost %!