Economic growth, institutional development and personal freedom: the educational needs of China

The transformation of the Chinese economy is underway, and the process of reform has facilitated a sustained increase in economic growth. However, the state‐owned enterprise sector is being left behind by the dynamism of the other sectors of the economy. To sustain growth it is likely that further changes are necessary in the Chinese economy and society. The lessons of the Asian financial crisis are that economic progress can be halted without a commitment to the creation of independent institutions, and the individual freedoms necessary to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. The conservative social values of China, often promoted through the educational and training system, could act as a brake on the economic progress of the country.