Current Development, Problems and Reform Trends of Comprehensive High Schools in China

In August 2023, the Opinions on the Implementation of the Action Plan for Expanding and Improving the Quality of Basic Education in the New Era, jointly issued by the Ministry of Education and three other departments, proposed to “actively develop comprehensive high schools.” The construction of comprehensive high schools is an important initiative to promote the integration of vocational and popular education, aiming to promote the integration of high school education in China, cultivate all-rounded talents, and help alleviate the pressure of further education. This study traces the history of comprehensive high schools in China, analyzes their current development, and points out the problems and challenges faced in policy support, innovation in school operation mode, curriculum construction, and teacher training. In order to achieve the steady development of comprehensive high schools, China is actively promoting reforms, including optimizing top-level planning to meet national development needs, deepening the integration of vocational education and popular education to explore diversified operation, strengthening curriculum construction to promote students' personalized development, and improving teacher quality to build a comprehensive team of teachers.