To foster new generations capable of shouldering mission of national rejuvenation

The Communist Party of China (CPC) attaches great importance to the development of education, culture, health and sports sectors, as these sectors are closely linked with people’s lives, and their aspiration for a better life has always been the goal of the Party.

On the afternoon of Sept. 22, Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a symposium attended by representatives of experts from education, culture, health and sports sectors, at which he delivered a speech and heard opinions on the country’s economic and social development in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

The Party and the State have attached great importance to the development of education, culture, health and sports sectors, and a series of strategic plans and arrangements have been made since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi said.

Party committees and governments at all levels should better implement the plans and arrangements to foster a new generation capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation, Xi stressed.

Xi called for solid efforts to advance the construction of socialist culture, promote the development of health undertakings, speed up building China into a major sport country, and provide fresh impetus for and break new ground in various social sectors, so as to constantly enhance people’s sense of gain, contentment and security.

Priority should be given to the development of education during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with efforts to cultivate talent for the Party and the country and to manage education to the satisfaction of the people, Xi said, adding that the country should foster a new generation capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation on its new journey of accelerating modernization of education.

Xi’s remarks serve as significant guidance on developing education as a gambit to advance the endeavors of the Party and the state in all areas and nurturing socialist builders and successors with an all-round moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic grounding, in addition to a hard-working spirit.

Centering on the fundamental questions of what kind of talents China shall cultivate, as well as how and for whom the country shall cultivate talents, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi at the core has adhered to the overall leadership of the CPC in China’s education sectors, comprehensively strengthened political education for schools at all levels, advanced comprehensive reforms in education, and enhanced the power of the state in the compilation of textbooks since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. As a result, the country’s education landscape is witnessing major changes.

To promote economic and social development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China should raise newer and higher requirements for education to match its efforts to further promote the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy, the socialist modernization, the all-around development of individuals and comprehensive progress of society.

The country must make planning and deployment for accelerating education modernization and building China into a country with a strong educational system from a higher and further historic perspective, with a broader international vision, and a profounder strategic insight.

In this way, China can constantly make its education sector suit the needs of the undertakings of the CPC and the country, the expectations of people, and the country’s comprehensive national strength and international status.

Education concerns the country’s development and the future of the Chinese nation. No other sector can influence or even determine the cultivation of the country’s socialist successors, the long-term peace and stability of the country, and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as much as education.

China must adhere to the socialist orientation in running schools, always keep in mind that the fundamental mission of education is to cultivate virtues and morality, and make sure that education plays a key role in fostering and practicing core socialist values.

Efforts should also be made to deepen reform and innovation of ideological and political theory courses, strengthen and improve physical education and aesthetic education, carry out extensive labor education activities, boost quality-oriented education, improve fairness in education, promote the all-round development of students, and develop students’ sense of patriotism, social responsibility, and innovation, as well as the ability to put ideas into practice in schools.

The country should optimize its educational structure, the structure of academic disciplines, and talent training structure that are suitable for its new development pattern, and improve its mechanism that promotes lifelong learning for all people.

Enhancing the capability of independent innovation and achieving breakthroughs in key and core technologies as soon as possible is a crucial mission in forming the new development pattern.

Colleges in the country should focus on the strategic needs of the country and accelerate their efforts to make breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields. In particular, the role of basic research in providing inspiration for sci-tech innovation must be brought into full play.

While keeping a foothold in serving the regional development strategy of the country, China should make efforts to optimize the allocation of regional educational resources, speed up the establishment of a development pattern featuring coordination and connectivity among educational resources at all levels and in all regions of the country, thus improving the level of regional development strategy of educational services.

The country needs to fully deepen the comprehensive reforms in the education sector, and intensify efforts to carry out educational reforms in a more systematic, holistic, and coordinated way.

A thriving education makes a thriving country, while a powerful education makes a powerful country. Today, the undertakings of the Party and the country need education, scientific knowledge, and outstanding talents more than ever.

As long as China continues regarding serving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as an important mission of education, giving priority to the development of education, and promoting high-quality development of the sector, the country can certainly foster a new generation capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation, thus laying a solid foundation and providing powerful support for the realization of the great Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.