China's changing policy and practice in television education, 1978–1993

Abstract

In the People's Republic in China, government policies are aimed at enabling the country to achieve by the year 2050 the same standard of economic development as the middle group of developed countries, such as Portugal and Greece, reached in 1990. Education supported by television has been given an important role to play, but China's policy and practice in television education has changed considerably since 1978. The remarkable growth of the television universities, started in 1979 with a terrestrial broadcasting system, was aided by a large World Bank loan. Reforms of the late 1980s in higher education led to a decline in undergraduate numbers in these universities, but other reforms enabled them to serve new groups, such as those requiring specialised vocational courses. Next, the government decided to establish a satellite television system for education, to serve several purposes including in-service training for primary and secondary school teachers, and “post-university” television education for technicians, managers and professional staff. The outcomes of these changing policies have been monitored and to some extent evaluated, raising questions about the future of television education in China.