Editing Normal school (section)

=== China ===
[[File:Beiyang Women's Normal School.jpg|thumb|Students of the Beiyang Women's Normal School, an early example of a normal school in China (1912)]]
In [[Mainland China]], the "normal school" terminology is still preserved in the official English names of former normal schools established in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Chinese term ''normal university'' ({{lang-zh|c=师范大学|p=shīfàn dàxué}}, abbreviated 师大; ''shīdà'') refers to a modern comprehensive university established as a normal school in the early twentieth century. These "normal universities" are usually controlled by the national or provincial government.

In 1895, Qing banking tycoon and educator [[Sheng Xuanhuai]] gained approval from the [[Guangxu Emperor]] to establish the Nanyang Public School in [[Shanghai]], China.<ref name=":2" /> This comprehensive institution included the first normal school on the Chinese mainland. 

In 1923,The Supreme Education School of Peking ({{zh|c=京师优级师范学堂}}) has been renamed as [[Beijing Normal University|National Beijing Normal University]] ({{zh|c=国立北京师范大学校}}), which is the first Normal University in China's history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BNU History-Beijing Normal University |url=https://english.bnu.edu.cn/about/bnuhistory/index.htm |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=english.bnu.edu.cn}}</ref>

Since 1949, many former normal schools in China have developed into comprehensive research universities. As of 2012, [[Beijing Normal University]] and [[East China Normal University]], both members of the national government's [[Project 985]] program, have been ranked the top two among the mainland Chinese universities that originated as normal schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2011-12/08/content_24105530_9.htm|title=Top 10 normal universities (teachers' colleges) in China |last=徐林|website=www.china.org.cn}}</ref>