China: Modernizing Education - Opinions

(—Part 13 of the “China in the Past Decade” series) Education is important for China.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), General Secretary Xi Jinping has addressed the basic questions of what kind of citizens should be cultivated, how they should be cultivated, and how they should be cultivated. , has put forward a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies. For whom we are cultivating citizens. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on education set the direction for China’s educational development in the new era and provided basic guidance.

Over the past decade, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, the education sector has fully implemented the Party’s education policy, carried out the basic mission of cultivating virtue, and fostering the development of new generations. We have raised talented young people. Possessing an excellent all-round foundation in moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic dimensions, ready to join the socialist cause.

The education sector has promoted equality in education, improved the quality of education, accelerated the modernization of education, built an education-strong nation, and provided education to the satisfaction of the people. Chinese education has exhibited more distinctive features, achieved historical achievements, and undergone structural changes.

China: people first

I. Over the past decade, universal education has expanded remarkably, better ensuring people’s access to education and effectively alleviating this pressing problem that is of utmost concern to people. Currently, there are about 530,000 schools of various levels and categories in China, and over 290 million students are currently being educated. The gross enrollment rate in pre-primary education reached 88.1%, an increase of 23.6 percentage points over ten years ago.

The retention rate for nine-year compulsory education was 95.4%, up 3.6 points from 10 years ago. Upper secondary and tertiary gross enrollment rates rose by 6.4 points and 27.8 points respectively to 91.4% for he and 57.8% for him. China’s education penetration rate reaches or exceeds the average level of the world’s middle- and high-income countries. Specifically, preschool education and compulsory education have reached the average level of high-income countries, and higher education has become universal. The average years of schooling for the working-age population he reaches 10.9 years.

All 200,000 compulsory education dropouts have returned to school, resolving the long-standing dropout problem and making a major contribution in all aspects to building a moderately prosperous society. All of her 2,895 counties across China have passed education inspections, and her 99.8% of primary and secondary schools meet the 20 final requirements for school operation.

Schools have undergone fundamental changes and the country has made new strides promoting the balanced and integrated development of compulsory education in urban and rural areas.

The country’s financial aid system for students covers all educational stages and has made about 1.3 billion payments over the past decade. China continues to implement special plans for major colleges and universities to accept students from rural and impoverished areas, with a total enrollment of more than 950,000 students.A population of over 300,000. All counties have special education schools and more than 95% of children with disabilities are enrolled in compulsory education.

II. Over the past decade, the capacity of education services has improved steadily, providing strong talent and intellectual support for the implementation of key national strategies and socio-economic development. Over 218 million Chinese have a college degree, up from a decade ago.

China will implement a training program for cultivating outstanding talents in basic fields, deepen the reform of engineering master’s and doctoral degree programs, strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship education for college students, and provide urgently needed accelerated training of talents.

China has optimized the form of vocational education, promoted the integration of vocational education and general education, and deepened the integration of production and education. Secondary and higher vocational schools (excluding vocational schools), he has produced more than 79 million graduates in the last decade. China has steadily advanced the development of world-class universities and disciplines. Some areas are ranked among the top in the world.

Ethnic unity and progress in a new era

China’s higher education institutions (HEIs) continue to improve their innovation capabilities. Over the past decade, higher education institutions have won 67% of natural science awards and 72% of technical invention awards. For the third year in a row, HEI researchers have won prestigious awards at the State Natural Science Awards.

HEI has contributed to innovation and made important technological breakthroughs such as the first observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect, the quantum computer “Jiuzhang”, China’s first home-made cutter suction dredger “Tian Jing”, and the world’s first pebble. A bed modular hot gas-cooled nuclear power plant and China’s first home-developed COVID-19 antibody drug have been approved for sale.

China is deepening industry-academia-research cooperation and accelerating the commercial application of scientific and technological achievements. The monetary value of patent commercialization has reached 8.89 billion yuan for him from 820 million yuan ten years ago.

China has promoted the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences in universities. China has promoted educational exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and helped Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan’s youth to be integrated into the development of the whole nation.

III. Over the past decade, the reform and opening up of education has continued to deepen, and the education system has been further enhanced to support people’s lifelong learning. China will ensure that the Communist Party exerts leadership in all aspects of education, educate the people according to Xi Jinping’s New Era Socialist Thought with Chinese Characteristics, and comprehensively promote theoretical and political courses in primary, secondary schools and universities. did. Incorporating “work skills” into the Party’s education policy, it has comprehensively promoted Mandarin reading and writing education throughout China.

The students expressed their determination to steadfastly follow the Party’s instructions and guidance and make due contributions to building a strong country. China has committed to prioritizing the development of education, with the Chinese government’s spending on education exceeding her 4% of GDP for the 10th consecutive year. The burden of homework and after-school instruction for compulsory students is further reduced, and the world of education is changing.

Reforms in areas such as education assessment, examinations and admissions continue to deepen, and law-based governance of education becomes stricter and stronger. In this regard, China has exercised complete and strict party autonomy.

China ensures that the average salary of compulsory teachers is no lower than the average salary of civil servants working in the same region. In the face of COVID-19, over 18 million teachers have risen to the challenge and switched to online teaching. The National Education Digitalization Strategy has been launched to accelerate the digital transformation of education.

China is working to build a new paradigm of opening up education and deepen cooperation in the field of education among the Belt and Road countries. China has strengthened cultural exchanges with other countries, developed closer people-to-people ties, and contributed to building a community with a shared future for mankind. With the expansion of international education platforms, China’s education sector is becoming more and more open, and we are confident to play a more active role in education on the international stage.

Embarking on a new journey, China will adhere to the guiding principles of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era, educate the people for the Party, cultivate talents for the nation, and pursue high-quality development of education. promote and build a new era. To make a greater contribution in all respects to the realization of her second centenary goal of building a modern socialist state.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022