1. The School System before 1949

In late imperial China, before the first modernizing reforms, basic education was provided by local society rather than by the state. Boys started their training at home under a private tutor, or in a school.

Sponsored by their family, lineage, or local community. Students advanced, at their own individual pace, through a standard set of elementary readers such as the Sanzijing(Three Character Classic), the Qianziwen (Thousand Character Text), and the Baijiax…