1986 In April, China promulgated the Compulsory Education Law of People's Republic of China (PRC). This is the first time that China has fixed free compulsory education in the form of law, which means that school-age "children and adolescents" must receive nine-year compulsory education. The promulgation of Compulsory Education Law marks that the development of basic education in China has entered a new stage. Although there is only 18, "the state implements nine-year compulsory education" has since become a legal obligation.

The latest Compulsory Education Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) was revised and passed by the 22nd meeting of the 10th NPC Standing Committee of People's Republic of China (PRC) on June 29th, 2006, and came into force on September 6th, 2006. After two years of transition, China implemented a veritable compulsory education nationwide in the autumn of 2008.

Compulsory education is a national education that school-age children and adolescents must accept according to law and is guaranteed by the state, society and family. Its essence is a system of compulsory education for school-age children and adolescents for a certain period of time in accordance with the provisions of the law. Compulsory education is also called compulsory education and free compulsory education. Compulsory education is compulsory, free and universal.

China's Compulsory Education Law stipulates that the length of compulsory education is nine years, which conforms to China's national conditions and is appropriate. At present, the actual situation of compulsory education system in China mainly includes "six-three system" (that is, six years in primary school and three years in middle school), "May 4th system" (that is, five years in primary school and four years in middle school) and "nine-year consistent system". Among them, there are still a few areas that implement eight-year compulsory education, that is, five years in primary school and three years in secondary school, but these areas are also trying to realize the transition from eight-year system to nine-year system. Judging from the education system in China, nine-year or eight-year compulsory education includes two stages: primary school compulsory education and junior high school compulsory education. School-age children and adolescents who have completed nine or eight years of compulsory education in compulsory education schools according to regulations can reach the educational level of junior high school graduation.