The Western Zhou Dynasty called the school "Biyong", where a few slave owners and nobles studied. In ancient times, schools were called Yao, Xu, Xue, Xiao and Shu. At the beginning, it was not all specialized educational institutions, but also a place to learn to support the elderly. During the Western Han Dynasty, schools were divided into central schools and local schools. Central school is the highest institution of learning in this country, which is equivalent to today's universities. There is a school palace at the local level. The Tang Dynasty was the peak of running schools in ancient times, and the classification of schools was more detailed. Schools in Ming and Qing Dynasties were basically inherited from Sui and Tang Dynasties, but due to the development of the imperial examination system, schools became vassals and decorations of the imperial examination system. In the late Qing Dynasty, modern education began. In the 28th year of Guangxu (1902), the charter of the King James School called it a school. By 1907, new schools have been established all over the country.

After the Revolution of 1911, the Ministry of Education announced the new academic system, and all "schools" were renamed "schools", which are still in use today.