Mobilising the Strength of the Entire Party and Society to Accelerate the Construction of a Leading Country in Education

General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the National Conference on Education has elevated our Party's understanding of the developmental laws of socialist education with Chinese characteristics to a new level. It provides fundamental guidance for us to make solid progress toward the set goal and to strive to write a new chapter in building a leading country in education.

The National Conference on Education is a significant meeting that mobilised and deployed efforts to accelerate the construction of a leading country in education on the new journey in the new era. It holds great milestone significance in the history of educational development in China. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the conference has elevated our Party's understanding of the developmental laws of socialist education with Chinese characteristics to a new level. It provides fundamental guidance for us to make solid progress toward the set goal and to strive to write a new chapter in building a leading country in education.

Looking to the future, to ensure the goal of becoming a leading country in education by 2035, we must thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech. We must focus on the fundamental task of fostering virtue and educating people, with the aim of nurturing a new generation of capable young people with sound moral grounding, intellectual ability, physical vigour, aesthetic sensibility and work skills, who are builders of socialism and will carry forward the socialist cause. It is essential to firmly grasp the education attributes related to politics, people, and strategy. We must firmly stay on the path of socialist educational advancement with Chinese characteristics, and mobilise the collective strength of the entire Party and society. With a spirit of perseverance, we must fully and solidly advance the implementation of the strategic tasks and key initiatives for building a leading country in education.

It’s imperative to take the study, promotion, and implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech and the guiding principles of the conference as a major political task for the present and the near future. The General Secretary’s speech is profound in its vision, deep in thought, and rich in content, with strong significance in politics, ideology, and guidance. It serves as a programmatic document for education work on the new journey in the new era. To move faster towards the construction of a leading country in education, we must thoroughly and accurately study, promote, and implement the guiding principles of the conference, acquire a deep understanding of the essence and core meaning of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech. We need to align our thoughts and actions with the speech and the guiding principles of the conference without delay. The speech and the guiding principles shall be included as key content for training all the staff in the education system. Various forms of training shall be utilised to ensure full coverage, allowing the message of the conference to be deeply internalised. Comprehensive efforts should be made to promote and interpret the speech on all fronts, in greater depth, and from all perspectives. We must engage in broad publicity, and enhance research to interpret the guiding principles of the conference. The aim is to guide the teachers, students, and officials across the education system to deepen their understanding, build consensus, and gather collective strength.

It’s imperative to apply practical approach, take concrete actions, and seek real effectiveness, contributing more to Chinese modernisation with the new achievements in building a leading country in education. At the conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping outlined for the first time the six defining characteristics of a leading country in education, profoundly explaining the five major relationships that must be correctly handled in the process, and comprehensively laying out five major tasks and initiatives to advance this goal. Planning alone is just the beginning of an endeavour, and effective implementation is where the success lies. We must accurately understand the scientific meaning of building a leading country in education and the fundamental pathways for its development. From a higher vantage point and with a broader perspective, we need to plan and advance education work on the new journey in the new era with greater intensity. This involves further development and enhancement of the functions of education to the greatest extent. We shall apply systems thinking and adopt a strategic perspective, correctly handling the five major relationships in building a leading country in education for overall and long-term development. We shall continue to optimise the layout and structure of the education system, and promote the coordinated development of education with the economy, society, culture, and science and technology. Efforts shall be made to plan and execute this agenda in all areas, ensuring a good start at a higher level, and advancement with high-quality in promoting the construction of a leading country in education. A series of major tasks, projects, reforms, and guarantees must be proposed and advanced to optimise the implementation mechanisms and to ensure that all efforts lead to tangible results.

It’s imperative to gather powerful societal synergy to accelerate the construction of a leading in education. The construction of a leading country in education requires the cooperation and mutual support of the entire Party and society, with a focused effort on achieving the goals and tasks at hand. The leadership of the Party is fundamentally tied to the direction of building a leading country in education. It is essential to uphold and strengthen the Party's overall leadership over education work, continually refining the leadership system in which the Party committees provide unified leadership, both Party committees and governments work together, and all departments assume their respective responsibilities. Party committees and governments at all levels must resolutely shoulder the political responsibility of building a leading country in education, always prioritising educational development. They should intensify efforts in organisational leadership, development planning, resource allocation, and funding. A mechanism for strategic discussion and collaboration between the state departments and provinces should be strengthened, enhancing regional coordination and interaction. All regions and schools should be encouraged to take the lead in exploring and experimenting with new approaches, creating a positive environment where education is cared for and supported throughout society. We must maintain coordinated efforts to promote close cooperation among schools, families, and society, ensuring that they work towards the same direction. This will help form a clear and well-defined collaborative mechanism for educating people, with tight coordination and scientific efficiency among schools, families, and society.

The blueprint has been drawn, and the horn has been sounded. The goal of becoming a leading country in education by 2035 is the overarching objective for educational reform and development for the present and the near future. The entire Party and society must take action. We shall maintain firm confidence, forge ahead with enterprise and fortitude, make pioneering efforts and innovations, and work hard. This helps to forge a powerful force to build a leading country in education, continually driving forward new developments in the educational sector. Let us strive to write a brand-new chapter in the construction of a leading country in education, contributing educational strength to advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernisation.

Source: China Education Daily, 20 September 2024