With With the disastrous"cultural revolution" (1966-76) coming to an end in 1976, major efforts were made to correct past wrongs. Economic development began taking center stage throughout the country. As the government started implementing reform and open policies, China's education speeded up its own reform and development.

        Reform of the educational system began in an all-round manner in the mid-1980s. As a planned economy was giving way to a market economy in the country, education authorities began first of all reforming the part of the educational system that was no longer compatible with the prevailing economic system and social needs. In a change of the highly centralized administrative system for education, for example, some administrative powers were given to local governments. Elementary education became mainly the responsibility of local governments; and schools were given more independent decision-making power in higher education and vocational education. The existing investment system

under which the state made unified development plans and provided budgetary appropriations for education underwent a gradual change. According to changed rules, government appropriations were used mainly to ensure compulsory education expansion and as a major revenue source for general higher education, while students were required to gradually pay tuition for the non-compulsory stages of education. Legislation in the field of education was strengthened with remarkable results. The field of education, where no law had existed previously, is now the most heavily legislated except for the economic field. Laws enacted and in effect in the educational field include:Regulations on Academic Degrees of the People's Republic of China (1980), Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China (1986), Teachers Law of the People's Republic of China (1993), Education Law of the People's Republic of China (1995), Vocational Education Law of the People's Republic of China (1996), and Higher Education Law of the People's Republic of China (1998). Enacted are also 16 administrative regulations and more than 200