CHINA’S RECENT CURRICULUM REFORM: PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS In China, the most recent curriculum reform of basic education began with the National Congress of Education held by the Chinese cen-

In China, the most recent curriculum reform of basic education began with the National Congress of Education held by the Chinese central government in 1999. Since the decision to implement well-rounded quality education nation-wide, which was made by the central government at that congress, curriculum reform has been emerging as a centerpiece of basic education. This is seen in the key documents issued by the State Council (State Council, 2001) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) (MoE, 2004a). Stated another way, the central government has seen curriculum reform as a vehicle for holistic reform of education. Although the curriculum of basic education in China has experienced several waves of change since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the past changes have never been as profound as this recent one (Zhong, Cui, & Zhang, 2001, p. 3). The essential rationale for this assertion is that the momentum for this current curriculum reform results from the changing economic and political contexts of China over the past 20 years (see Table 1).