A key school has a special section for the administration of students and a special section for general affairs. Key schools have canteens and dormitories for students and teachers - some of whom reside on campus.
General schools are academically oriented and prepare students for the university.
They serve as a preparation for lower level skilled work, such as automotive, carpentry, and mechanical skills. There are multiple extra-curricular clubs and sports, and they boasted of having a winning volleyball team. The educators said that their school is highly successful, both at the junior and senior levels, and students at the elementary level compete to get accepted into both levels of the school. Nonetheless, there was a sense expressed amongst our Chinese counterparts that they had a long way to go before catching up with U.S. schools. When asked about their school's strengths and weaknesses, we were given a familiar response with a slightly different twist to it.