It is some one century since compulsory education in China started in the late Qing Dynasty. Compulsory education as the cornerstone of national prosperity and takingoff has been emphasized by Chinese governments in different phases of history. The Qing government regarded children and teenagers of the right age′s education as their parents′ obligation to the state. In time of the Republic of China, compulsory education was taken as the duty of citizens. After the Founding of the People′s Republic, compulsory education, especially the revised Statute of Compulsory education, considers this education to be the right of the educated. Therefore, in terms of the Statute of Compulsory Education the one century of growth of Chinese compulsory education marks a course of compulsory education in China turning from duty to right of the educated and from power to responsibility of government.

Statute of Compulsory education; right of being educated; duty