The old China officially put forward the pilot compulsory education 19 1 1 year. In July and August of that year, the Ministry of Education of the Qing government sent someone to preside over a central education conference in Beijing, and the meeting resolved the Charter of Pilot Compulsory Education and other documents. This case clearly stipulates that four years is the period of compulsory education, and puts forward the way to try out compulsory education. 19 12, the Republic of China was founded. In September of the same year, the Ministry of Education of the interim government promulgated the academic system order, that is, the Renqi academic system. The following year, it was revised and supplemented as "The Educational System of Renzi Guichou". This academic system stipulates that "four years of primary school education is compulsory", which is the first time that the Chinese government has clearly stipulated the implementation of compulsory education.

After the founding of New China, in April 1986, president approved and promulgated the Compulsory Education Law of People's Republic of China (PRC), which was considered and passed by the Fourth Session of the Sixth National People's Congress. The promulgation and implementation of this law marks the establishment of China's compulsory education system.