China's education mainly comprises of the following stages:

Preschool: children of 3 to 5 years old receive preschool education at kindergartens.

Primary school: for children of 6 to 11 years old. Primary schools are generally run by local government. Some are run by enterprises and individuals.

Secondary school: for teenagers of 12 to 17 years old. Secondary schools are generally run by local governments and educational departments. Secondary schools include common middle schools, vocational schools and specialized secondary schools. Common middle schools include junior schools and senior schools, each with 3-year period of schooling. Some junior middle school graduates are accepted by senior middle schools while some go to vocational schools and specialized secondary schools, with a schooling period of 3-5 years.

Higher education: including 2- to 3-year short higher education, undergraduate education and graduate education.

China's education structure is similar to that of other countries around the world.