MAIN TRENDS IN EDUCATION REFORM IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

This article highlights the processes of education reform in the People's Republic of China (PRC) associated with the transition to a new stage of civilizational development, from an industrial to an information digital society. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the new stage of education reform in China. The following methods were used in the article: an empirical research method, such as analysis of open sources, official documents, publications in the state media of the People's Republic of China, as well as expert assessments of scientists from Russia, Singapore, Australia and island China. The method of qualitative analysis – in-depth interview was also applied. It was noted that there is a continuous search for new approaches to education that would be competitive in the global market, but at the same time taking into account national specifics. One of the main documents referred to by the authors in the study is "Opinions on standardization of the development of educational institutions off-campus", published in July-August 2021 from the General Staff of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. These documents were adopted in order to optimize the education system of the People's Republic of China, which was strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The main goal of the "Opinions" is the need to improve the quality of school and higher education, as well as the standardization of extracurricular education in the centers of additional education. These measures are aimed at improving the quality of education in the country. The article provides brief reviews of articles by foreign scientists and highlights the main points of the laws with the main excerpts from a number of provisions on the role of teachers in China. The adoption of new reforms in China, as well as the situation with COVID-19 in the world, affected the activities of foreigners working in kindergartens and additional education centers, who remained inside the country during the pandemic. This law imposed a complete ban on the activities of educational institutions, thereby leaving foreigners without a basic source of income abroad. This article presents a number of in-depth interviews with young professionals with experience in teaching foreign languages in China. The interview was conducted on the condition of complete anonymity, all the names in the article have been changed. It was found that the information received from the respondents has a certain value, as it allows us to assess how the reforms in the field of education have affected not only the Chinese themselves, but also foreigners working in China. During the interview, the main conclusions were drawn, presented in the form of graphs and diagrams that allow you to visually assess the results of the study. This article covers the events that have been taking place in China since the summer of 2021 to the present day, this is its scientific novelty, since "Opinions" have introduced a number of significant changes into the Chinese education system that have not yet been fully studied, and their impact on Chinese society has not been fully revealed.