在中国，小学教育需要花费12年的时间来完成，分为小学、初中和高中三个阶段。小学教育持续5年或6年。在初中阶段，大多数学生上3年制初中，极少数上4年制。几乎98%的学生在前一种学校入学。在小学和初中的9年教育属于义务教育。普通高中教育持续3年时间，在整个义务教育阶段，学生要求在每学期未参加期末考试。

　　参考译文

　　In China, primary and secondary education takes 12 years to complete, divided into primary, junior secondary and senior secondary stages. Primary education lasts either five or six years. At junior secondary stage, most have three-year schooling with any part of four-year. Almost 98 percent of students are enrolled in the former schools. The nine-year schooling in primary and junior secondary schools belongs to compulsory education. General senior secondary education lasts for three years. Throughout the whole process of compulsory education, students are required to take final examinations at the end of each semester.