ABSTRACT
A good deal has been written about China's attempts since 1949 to eradicate illiteracy and universalise primary and secondary education. China has created an apparently successful model for continuing or recurrent adult education. Those who want to participate in the dialogue that has begun with Chinese educators cannot understand the present Chinese system without some sense of where it came from and of the context within which it exists. The broad scope of adult education as it is understood in China includes the wide range of learning modes outside of the normal age-graded school system. It includes formal classroom instruction and non formal learning through discussion groups, peer instruction and apprenticeships. A great diversity of educational opportunities exists for adults in China. These activities and programmes have a wide range of sponsorship, take place in varied settings, use differing methodologies and have impact in different ways on the life and continuing education of Chinese adults.
