What do we know about the largest education system in the world? A system that is educating 260 million young people, and that employs 15 million teachers? This report provides a broad overview of how China’s education system is organised and operates, and how reforms, both past and current, have reshaped education in China over time. The report then examines in greater detail education in the four economies within China that participated in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015. PISA is a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students.

This report is organised into six chapters. The first outlines China’s national education system and how it works, including the organisation of the system, and how the government deals with educational development, reform and quality improvement, teachers, students, curriculum and teaching. The second chapter introduces current education reforms and relevant nationwide policies, including the challenge of balancing educational development in rural and urban areas, and reforms of the examinations. The remaining four chapters are each devoted to the four participating provinces and municipalities in PISA 2015.