Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

History

Xiangzhou is a birth place of creative minds. It has a tradition of valuing education highly, which can be traced back to the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 -1912), when the prestigious Fengchi Academy in Cuiwei, Fengshan Academy in Qianshan and Jinshan Academy in Xiazha produced a series of famous historical figures. Examples include Rong Hong, a well-known educator and the first "returned student" from the US; Chen Fang, the first Chinese consul to Hawaii; and Yang Paoan, a theorist of the Communist Party of China who introduced Marxism to the country. The tales and spirits of these outstanding Xiangzhouers have been passed on from generation to generation, and have fostered an appreciation of the importance of education.

Principles

The general educational principle of Xiangzhou is to fulfill people’s educational needs. More specifically, it includes building high-quality schools to offer high-standard, modern, and localized education. Xiangzhou has a vision of making education accessible to everyone, and establishing a modern educational system reflecting the coastal city’s spirit.

Honors

Xiangzhou’s effort to improve education has been fruitful. It has been carefully carrying out a strategy of “developing the district through science and education” since 1984, when the district was founded. Schools have become better funded and managed while students’ all-round development has been emphasized; the equality and quality of education have both increased. In recent years, Xiangzhou has been honored many times with titles such as the “Strong Education District of Guangdong Province”, “Advanced Area of Guangdong Province to Promote the Modernization of Education”  and “Experimentation　Area of Community Education in Guangdong Province.”

Preschool Education

The district currently has 143 kindergartens, ten of which are public. About 38,730 children are schooled there and 4,927 teachers and staff are employed. The district also has 16 child-care centers.　One hundred percent of the district’s children aged 3 to 6 enter kindergarten.

Basic Education

There are 77 primary and middle schools in Xiangzhou, 53 public and 24 private. Up to 120,624 students are enrolled, 97,385 in public schools and 40,257 in private schools.