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China education

China education
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China education. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A jobseeker meets with a recruiter at a job fair in Shanghai on April 9. The job fair was for aged-care services. Nearly 50 organisations and enterprises offered more than 100 opportunities. Photo: Xinhua
China jobs

China’s youth unemployment crunch deepens as record graduation season looms

China’s official youth jobless rate climbed to 16.9 per cent in March, with another 12.7 million graduates set to enter the job market this summer.

Artificial intelligence

China launches national plan to boost AI education

Focus

Vocational schools a new front as China backs businesses’ global expansion

Trending in China

New China school system rewards diligent pupils with motivational ‘digital pets’

Virtual cats, dogs, even dolphins see classmates up their academic game for points with which they can feed, upgrade their digital companions.

A new system in Chinese schools encourages hard study by awarding students “digital pets,” like miniature pigs and dogs. Photo: SCMP composite/Sohu
Trending in China

Ex-poor village boy, famous China education guru Zhang Xuefeng dies at 41 after run

Cardiac arrest kills educator with punishing work schedule who held controversial views on liberal arts study; was praised for pragmatism.

China jobs

China’s youth unemployment falls for sixth consecutive month in February

But young job-hunters say they are still struggling to find work in a testing post-holiday labour market amid rising global economic uncertainty.

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Artificial intelligence

AI | AI to narrow China’s rural-urban economic divide

Farmers, schools and healthcare facilities in rural China are benefiting from policies designed to promote the use of artificial intelligence nationwide.

AI to narrow China’s rural-urban economic divide
Artificial intelligence

Jack Ma, Alibaba leaders call for education overhaul in the age of AI

Time spent memorising textbooks could be freed up to cultivate creativity and imagination, according to Ma, the founder of Alibaba.

Two Sessions 2026

Language as a weapon? PLA academics seek training overhaul, cite Ukraine war

Digitised battlefields demand new breed of soldier, as skilled at data analysis and psy-ops as at wielding a weapon, veteran instructor says.

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Education in Hong Kong

Opinion | Bridging East and West, Hong Kong offers talent the best of both worlds

The Study in Hong Kong Week will showcase how the city’s globally ranked universities and access to the mainland give students a competitive edge.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China jobs

China’s vocational degrees rising as students seek skills over prestige

Job-placement rates for vocational undergraduate colleges now outpace traditional universities, as youth unemployment drives pivot to more reliable employment path.

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Vocational undergraduate colleges in China have expanded rapidly, growing from just 15 during a pilot phase in 2019 to more than 100. Photo: Getty Images
Japan

Opinion | Universities in Japan and China are becoming tools of national strategy

Across Asia, higher education is becoming a central arena where national ambition, geopolitical constraint and human capital intersect.

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China’s military drills

English language instruction in Chinese military is outdated, unbalanced: report

Senior lecturers warn that troops are not being given the communication skills they need to operate on the international stage.

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US-China relations

Opinion | How Washington’s lawyers stack up against Beijing’s technocrats

While no system is perfect, balancing out the occupational composition of policymakers could hold the key to success for both countries.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Trending in China

China parents use giant homework papers to motivate kids, divide public opinion

As moves to ease academic pressure continue, some children embrace oversized learning while others see huge bits of paper as toys.

Some young parents in China have printed oversized winter holiday test papers to motivate their children to do their homework. Photo: RedNote
China's population

China’s brain gain: overseas grads plug into domestic frontiers, powering future

Record jump in returnees seen reflecting confidence in some domestic opportunities, particularly in areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing.

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China's economic recovery

Open Questions | Lawrence Lau’s recipe for China? More school, higher pay

Economist on how China can improve its workforce, why it needs more basic research and the benefits a unified market in the Greater Bay Area would bring.

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Artificial intelligence

‘Teach our children well’: Jack Ma urges changes to China’s education in AI era

China’s educators must teach students to ask thousands of good questions, rather than give the same correct answer, Ma says.

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Alibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma speaks to Chinese rural teachers in a video conference call on Monday. Photo: Jack Ma Foundation
China jobs

Is China about to end its after-school tutoring ban? A huge fine suggests not

Speculation was growing that Beijing would relax a ban on for-profit tutoring to boost the economy. Then a firm was hit with a US$9.7 million penalty.

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China jobs

China’s youth jobless rate edges down – but labour market strains persist

Beijing vows to prioritise job market in 2026, the first year of new five-year plan.

Trending in China

China girl pens love notes to late grandpa, sparks calls for better grief education

11-year-old who seldom talks about her late grandfather uses phone watch to send him ‘I miss you’ texts, details of her daily life.

An 11-year-old Chinese girl has been sending messages to her deceased grandfather for two years, sharing her daily experiences and often saying: “I miss you.” Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
China economy

Opinion | Too few Chinese finish secondary school to sustain growth

To shift to a new growth model, China must redirect its focus from skyscrapers and infrastructure to raising educational attainment.

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Students study at a high school in Renxian county, Hebei province, on May 7, 2015. Photo: Xinhua
Trending in China

China tutoring school links civil service exam success to higher bride prices

Wedding betrothal advertisement emblazoned on public bus sparks public anger; officials order institution to stop marketing campaign.

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Why reducing AI harm requires more than tech firms’ empty promises

Real action incurs real cost, which is why incentives and regulatory frameworks for tech firms matter.

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China society

Opinion | Key lessons from China’s ascent over the past 25 years

The country’s rise was shaped less by a single turning point than by its commitment to long-term planning, meritocracy and global engagement.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Trending in China

China teacher turns tardy boys into ‘wrongdoers boy band’; dance video gets million likes

‘Multitalented’ fun-loving educator makes boys late for lessons perform on classroom podium to delight of fellow pupils.

A teacher in China has turned a group of tardy boys into a “wrongdoers boy band” and made them dance on a podium to outdated music as punishment. Photo: Douyin
Trending in China

China university offers US$11,000 ‘micro’ overseas study to help students pass failed exams

Private educational institute ‘coerces’ parents to fork out huge sums for non-existent study sessions or face their children being expelled.

China economy

Editorial | China’s resolve to invest in people is economic good sense

The government’s plan to invest in people as well as physical assets is aimed at improving domestic demand while aiding low-income households.

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