The Secretariat of the Central Education Leading Group and the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education (MOE) held a conference on March 27 in Beijing on educational reform. The conference focused on facilitating the launch of pilot programs under the Three-Year Action Plan, a component of the 2024–2035 Master Plan on Building China into a Leading Country in Education. Huai Jinpeng, Secretary of the MOE Party Leadership Group and Minister of Education, attended the conference and delivered remarks.
The conference called for efforts to promote pilot programs as key levers to validate and stress-test reform measures. By addressing specific challenges through targeted pilot initiatives, these programs can drive broader systemic reforms. The conference also stressed the need to guide comprehensive reforms based on the “Five Major Tasks” outlined by President Xi Jinping at the National Education Conference, which called for concerted reform and development in five main categories:
1) Reinforce Party leadership and governance mechanisms. Pilot programs will be launched to improve the moral education system and integrate political education across primary, secondary, and higher education institutions, while a well-rounded education system encompassing moral, intellectual, physical, artistic, and labor education will also be established.
2) Enhance coordination between education and technology development and talent training. New pilot initiatives will focus on cultivating top-tier innovative talent, advancing the “New Dual Excellence” program in vocational education, and fostering deep integration between scientific research and industry innovation. Efforts will also be made to enable dynamic adjustments to academic disciplines, create an independent knowledge system in Chinese philosophy and social sciences, and establish a sustainable model for training high-skilled professionals.
3) Optimize resource allocation and improve educational services. Pilot programs will be introduced to explore city-county joint governance mechanisms and revitalize county-level high schools. Additionally, measures will be taken to better allocate basic education resources in alignment with demographic shifts, explore effective approaches to integration and exchange between regular high schools and vocational schools, promote the National Smart Education Platform, and innovate collaborative education models involving schools, families, and communities.
4) Innovate teacher education mechanisms. Pilot initiatives will be designed to optimize teacher education curricula and encourage more top-tier universities to provide teacher education programs in order to improve the quality of teacher training.
5) Expand international strategic cooperation in education. Efforts will be stepped up to integrate international cooperation with ongoing education reforms, exploring new models for global educational collaboration and developing sound mechanisms for industry-education integration.
The conference also advocated implementation of the CPC Central Committee’s directive on reducing burdens at the community level, eliminating excessive bureaucracy, and prioritizing practical results. The goal is to develop best practices, address critical challenges, and establish institutional standards that are replicable and scalable.
The conference was held via video link. Representatives from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, relevant MOE departments, and other agencies, as well as from pilot schools and institutions across different regions, attended the event and shared insights.
