In China, the education is divided into three categories: basic education, higher education, and adult education. The Compulsory Education Law of stipulates that each child have nine years of formal education.

Basic Education
Basic education in China includes pre-school education, primary education and regular secondary education.

Preschool, or kindergarten, can last up to three years, with children entering as early as age three, until age six, when they typically enter elementary school. The academic year is divided into two semesters.

Secondary education is divided into academic secondary education and specialized/vocational/technical secondary education. Academic secondary education is delivered by academic lower and upper middle schools.

Lower middle school graduates wishing to continue their education take a locally administered entrance exam, on the basis of which they will have the option either of continuing in an academic upper middle school or of entering a vocational secondary school. Vocational schools offer programs ranging from two to four years and train medium-level skilled workers, farmers, and managerial and technical personnel. Technical schools typically offer four-years programs to train intermediate technical personnel. "Schools for Skilled Workers" typically train junior middle school graduates for positions requiring production and operation skills. The length of training is typically three year.