The Chinese educational system is divided into three stages: basic education, higher education and adult education. Basic education is comprised of pre-school education, primary school and secondary school. Higher education consists of vocational schools, colleges and universities. In 1986, China began to implement the policy of nine-year compulsory education from primary school to junior high school. The Chinese government has placed strategic priority on developing education, advancing the strategy of developing the nation by relying on the science and education. With the joint efforts of both the government and the people, historic achievements have been made in Chinese education.