Media Highlights

CPC Leadership Group of MOE:China will steadfastly follow the path of socialist education with Chinese characteristics

Source: People’s Daily
2018-09-26

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, spoke at a national education conference on September 10, which marked the 34th Teachers’ Day in China. The conference was successfully convened under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a New Era, which provides a solid blueprint for educational reform and represents a new milestone in the modernization of education. Xi made an important statement on the fundamental issues affecting education on behalf of CPC Central Committee: the educational system was the catalyst for accelerating the modernization of education, empowering the nation through knowledge and offering quality learning that met people’s expectations. Those working in education are called upon to use this statement as a chart to guide educational reform through the new era, while studying, disseminating and implementing it with a strong sense of responsibility and purpose, to explore new paths in educational reform.

1. Xi’s statement: essential guidelines for education in the new era

The CPC Central Committee attaches high priority to the development of education. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi has led seminars and given talks on major educational issues such as educational reform, while the new philosophies, ideas and viewpoints he has proposed have already brought historical change to the development of education. His recent speech at the national education conference not only crystallized achievements and highlighted experience gained through educational reform and development since the 18th CPC National Congress, but also provided solutions to major theoretical and practical issues concerning the modernization of education and set out essential guidelines for developing and improving learning methods.

Those engaged in education must earnestly study and implement the spirit of Xi’s statement on education and truly understand the Party’s requirements, and build on what has been achieved and learnt so far. (1) The Party exercises full leadership over all education related initiatives, while ideological and political education should be integrated into the entire management process in schools. (2) Reinforcement of student moral development is the greatest foundation to all-round education and the effectiveness of moral education is the most important measurement of school quality. (3) Strategic priority must be given to the development of education to promote the improvement of educational systems and mechanisms and accelerate the modernization of education. (4) Schools must adhere to the direction of socialist education to better serve the people, the governance of the Party and the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics while driving the reform and opening up and socialist modernization. (5) Schools must be confident in developing education rooted in China and aim to build a world-class modern education system with Chinese characteristics. (6) Based on a people-oriented development agenda, more efforts will be made to promote fair and quality education for everyone, thereby facilitating equity and social justice. (7) Following mainstream trends in the further reform and innovation of education system, more emphasis will be put on systematic, integrated and synergetic reform measures to boost vitality and increase motivation. (8) Targeted at achieving national revitalization, those working in education should strive to promote quality development of education to help improve workforce quality, by implementing relevant national policies and strategies. (9) Schools need to put the development of teachers high on agenda and try to build a strong workforce comprised of competent and professional teachers.

Xi’s statement on education highlighted the following: (1) stress on the socialist education, (2) strategic priority of educational development, (3) basic principles of fair education, (4) practical attitude towards national conditions, and (5) innovation of the Party’s educational policies. This important statement is a significant part of the XI Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a New Era, marking a new level of maturity in the Party’s educational guidelines, which will provide sound guidance and ample impetus for the development of education in a new era.

2. National education conference clearly specifies overall approach for accelerating modernization of education

Those working in education must firmly uphold the spirit of Xi’s statement and implement the overall framework prepared by the national education conference, focusing on:

(1) Implementation of the strategy to prioritize education: Local governments by prioritizing the development of education in development planning, financial inputs, resource provision and talent support, to enable educational development that satisfies Party requirements and expectations of the people.

(2) Carrying out moral education programs: Schools need to integrate Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a New Era into student moral education, to build a comprehensive educational system to produce a highly-skilled workforce. Synergy will be found in moral education mechanisms through the joint efforts of families, schools, governments and society. In addition, physical education, art education as well as vocational learning will be reinforced to equip learners with a broader range of skills.

(3) Strengthening teacher advancement for a new era: A long-term mechanism will be established to improve ethics in the teaching profession, while a teacher training revitalization plan will be rolled out. More resources will be invested in teacher development, to raise their social standing and financial situation.

(4) Responding to the people’s concerns about education: Measures will be taken to promote the healthy development of pre-school education, ensure equity and quality in compulsory education by closing the urban-rural gap, and tackle issues such as oversized classes and excessive student workload. Meanwhile, efforts will be made to promote the differentiated development of regular senior high schools, optimize potential through higher education, and improve the quality of vocational education. Education for ethnic minorities, special education and continuing education will also be strengthened.

(5) Deepening comprehensive educational reforms: Greater impetus will be given to reforming learning methods, school operations, management systems and assurance mechanisms to stimulate vitality, efficiency, openness and quality development, and replacing previous poorly designed evaluation standards. The development of Double First Class Universities will be accelerated together with greater education-industry collaboration. The education sector will open wider to the world to encourage international cooperation and increase global influence.

(6) Bolstering the Party through education: Party leadership groups within the education system at all levels will be encouraged to perform their duties to their utmost ability, by rallying more support and reinforcing the Party’s foundations, while ensuring full implementation of Party policies. These groups must integrate the Party’s educational guidelines into every aspect of school work and leverage primary Party organizations to unite teachers and students. Ideological and political publicity and Party member discipline must be strengthened in schools to safeguard stability on campus and create a sound political atmosphere.

3. Those working in education should strive to fully implement guidance from the national education conference

The national education conference framework must be applied by all those working in education. More specifically, they will be expected to:

(1) Continuously innovate and contribute to improving education; strive to achieve the highest national development goals; focus on the effectiveness and results of work; and learn and absorb the guidance from the national education conference.

(2) Adapt to the post-conference working rhythm, keeping in mind on-going and long-term trends; innovate in terms of language use within the education system, to combine the Party’s discourse with those of the people and students; take a positive attitude to studying and implementing the conference’s guidance; and lead by example to provide quality education and publicize the guidance from the conference.

(3) Establish a complete checklist management mechanism centered on educational issues of wide concern; identify gaps and achievable breakthroughs before determining the work schedule; and concentrate efforts on solving issues which will reflect the guidance from the conference and the Party’s decisions in its annual work plan.

Confronted with new circumstances and tasks, those working in education must stand united around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi as its core and aspire to make progress on the path of socialist education with Chinese characteristics, nurturing capable young people well prepared to join the socialist cause and achieving the goal of completing the construction of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and rejuvenating the Chinese nation through persistent hard work.