Since the 1990s, the concept of quality-oriented education to encourage a student's creative spirit and ability — rather than the centuries-old tradition in China of "teaching for examination and learning for examination"—has gradually found its place in Chinese education. Educational departments have adopted a series of measures to introduce quality -oriented education that include encouraging students to take part on their own initiative, be ready for inquiry and try doing things by themselves. Curriculum changes and reform on teaching materials are being made with a grading system favorable to encouraging the goals of a quality-oriented education.
The new standards formulated by the Ministry of Education for the 18 subjects during the compulsory education period have been introduced. And research and experiment on new courses for senior high schools has started. In the autumn of 2001, new textbooks were used in 26 provinces, autonomous regions and centrally administered municipalities. Old teaching materials were criticized for being divorced from reality and far from life. The new textbooks deleted or abridged repetitive, old and too complex contents and added up-to-date knowledge on modern scientific and technological development. Some existing courses were merged, and foreign language and information technology lessons were added to the curriculum of elementary schools. Great importance has been attached to practical education, and a "green certificate" representing education in agricultural production and management has been introduced to rural areas.
Reforms are being made in the grading system at all educational levels taking into consideration students' physical and mental health as well as their comprehensive development. The reform on the admission system of institutions of higher learning includes enrolling students through computer networks, looking the overall qualities and abilities of students and holding the university entrance examination twice each year.
