Brief Introduction

 

 

 


 

Data in this chapter show the development of China’s education and the basic conditions on China’s scientific and technological development.

I. Main Content and Sources of Data on Education

Data on education cover the situations on higher education (education of postgraduates, General Higher Education and adult education), secondary education (senior and junior high schools), elementary education (primary schools), preschool education, special education (schools for the blind, deaf-mutes and mentally retarded) and their expenditure. The main indicators include the number of schools, the number of students enrolled, the number of new students enrolled, the number of graduates, the number of staff and workers, the number of full-time teachers, sources and outlay of education funding, and education expenditure from the State budget.

The Ministry of Education provides statistical data on education undertakings and education funding. Data on technical training schools are provided by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Detailed information can be found in “Statistical Yearbook on China’s Educational Undertakings” compiled by Department of Planning and Development, Ministry of Education; and the “Statistical Yearbook on National Education Funding” compiled by the Department of Finance, Ministry of Education.

II. Main Contents, Sources of Data and Statistical Methodology on Science and Technology

Data on technology mainly include: data on scientific and technological activities, R&D activeities all over the country, scientific and technological institutions under government departments, universities and colleges, and large and medium-sized industrial enterprises; data on domestic and foreign patents application accepted and granted, data on scientific and technological activities of high-tech industrial enterprises, data on scientific and technological papers; data on import and export trade of high-technological products; data on technological markets; main economic indicators of high and new-tech industrial enteriprises in development zones; data on the number of scientific and technological personnel in state-owned enterprises and institutions; data on the scientific and technological activities in the system of associations for science and technology; data on operation institutions and activities of the polytechnic departments of meteorology, earthquake, surveying and mapping, product quality supervision.

Coverage of data: data on scientific and technological activities refer to institutions all over the country engaged in those activities. They are mainly: industrial enterprises, scientific and technological institutions under government departments, universities and colleges, construction enterprises of the first grade, transportation and telecommunication enterprises at or above prefecture level, agricultural and health care institutions at or above prefecture level, enterprises engaged in software development, units engaged in polytechnic scientific and technological services and so on.

Sources of data: data on national level, various enterprises, medical and health care institutions and agricultural undertakings are from National Bureau of Statistics; data on scientific and technological institutions under government departments are from Ministry of Science and Technology, and State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense; data on scientific and technological papers; technological markets and high and new-tech industrial enteriprises in development zones are from Ministry of Science and Technology; data on scientific and technological activities in universities and colleges are from Ministry of Education; data on import and export trade of high-technological products are from General Administration of Customs; Data on the number of scientific and technological personnel are from Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The China Association for Science and Technology provides data on the scientific and technological activities of associations for science and technology. Data on the development of surveying and mapping, meteorology, earthquake, product quality supervision and patents are provided separately by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, China Meteorological Administration, China Earthquake Administration, National Bureau of Marine Administration, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, and State Intellectual Property Office.

Statistical methodology: data on scientific and technological activities of industrial enterprises, scientific and technological institutions under government departments, universities and colleges are collected through complete surveys. Data on scientific and technological associations, surveying and mapping, meteorology, earthquake, product quality supervision and patent applications are through sample surveys and other surveys. Data on construction, transportation, telecommunication, software industry, agriculture and health care are from rotational sampling systems with 5 years as one cycle.

Changes of the statistical coverage of data on scientific and technological activities: before 2000, data only included large and medium-sized industrial enterprises, scientific research institutions under government departments, and universities and colleges. Since 2000 (inclusive), data further include: small industrial enterprises, enterprises and institutions of construction sector, transportation sector, telecommunication sector, software sector, agriculture, and health care agencies.