Abstract
This paper outlines the origin of compulsory education, and discusses the social, cultural and economic conditions under which compulsory education was implemented in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. It also delineates the development of compulsory education in both places and examines the problems and dilemmas to be faced in the process of implementing compulsory education. Drawing upon the experience of developing compulsory education in both places, this paper discusses some of the issues related to compulsory education. It points out that successful implementation of compulsory education is attributed to favourable social, cultural and economic conditions, effective planning and policy-making, and the contributions of the private sector. However, the implementation of compulsory education is always faced with such dilemmas as quantity versus quality and regional disparities, and such problems as population expansion and attrition. Moreover, there are other criticisms such as falling educational standards and rising student behavioural problems. Nevertheless further thought suggests that many of the problems are not due to the nature of compulsory education itself, but the lack of flexibility and adaptability in the education system, and the lack of change of expectations towards the effects of compulsory education. Compulsory education actually makes a new age in the development of education, but its success relies upon the accompaniment of corresponding changes in people's expectation, investigation of new modes of education, and adaptability of teaching contents and methods.
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