This post is part of a series exploring Chinese culture. See the links at the bottom of this page for more. Up until 1905 Confucianism was the national educational doctrine and more than 80% of the population was illiterate. As a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought the basic teachings of Confucianism stress the importance of education for moral development of the individual so that the state can be governed by moral virtue rather than by the use of coercive laws. Photo by chrissuderman After government reforms in 1905 Confucianism was replaced by a more western style of education, the number of students increased rapidly, and today the literacy rate is over 90%. In 1977 the fiercely competitive College Entrance…