Outline of
China’s National Plan for Medium and Long-term Education Reform and Development

(2010-2020)

July 2010, Beijing

Table of Contents

Preamble
Section I: General Strategy
Chapter 1: Guidelines and Executive Principles
(1) Guidelines.
(2) Executive principles.
Chapter 2: Strategic Goals and Themes
(3) Strategic goals.
(4) Strategic themes.
Box 1:  Major goals for education development from 2009 to 2020
Box 2:  Major goals for human resource development from 2009 to 2020
Section II: Development Missions
Chapter 3: Preschool Education
(5) Basically universalizing preschool education.
(6) Defining government responsibilities.
(7) Strengthening preschool education in rural areas.
Chapter 4: Compulsory Education
(8) Consolidating, enhancing nine-year compulsory education.
(9) Promoting balanced development in compulsory education.
(10) Lessening schoolwork burdens on primary, middle school students.
Chapter 5: Senior Middle School Education
(11) Accelerating popularization of senior middle school education
(12) Improving students’ quality in all respects in senior middle school.
(13) Promoting diversification of senior middle schools.
Chapter 6：Vocational Education
(14) Intensifying efforts in developing vocational education.
(15) Mobilizing the enthusiasm of industries and enterprises in vocational education.
(16) Speeding up vocational education development to meet the needs of rural areas.
(17) Making vocational education more appealing.
Chapter 7: Higher Education
(18) Raising higher education quality in an all-round way.
(19) Bettering cultivation of talents or professionals.
(20) Elevating research levels.
(21) Buttressing social service capacities.
(22) Optimizing a distinctive higher education structure.
Chapter 8: Further or Continuing Education
(23) Accelerating development in further education.
(24) Putting further education under a sound framework.
(25) Building a flexible, open system for lifelong education.
Chapter 9: Education for Ethnic Minorities
(26) Valuing and supporting education for ethnic minorities.
(27) Raising education quality for ethnic minorities.
Chapter 10: Special Education
(28) Caring for and supporting special education.
(29) Improving special education system.
(30) Perfecting guarantees for special education.
Section III: Educational System Reforms
Chapter 11: Reform of Cultivation System for Talents or Professionals
(31) Updating concepts on talent or professional cultivation.
(32) Innovating cultivation mode for talent or professional.
(33) Improving assessment of quality of education and assessment of talents
Chapter 12: Reform of Examinations and Enrollment Systems
(34) Advancing examination and enrollment reform.
(35) Revamping examinations and enrollment at secondary stage.
(36) Improving examinations and enrollment at tertiary stage.
(37) Raising information transparency, enhancing social supervision.
Chapter 13: Building a Modern School System
(38) Further separating government functions from school management and detaching school governance from school operation.
(39) Extending school decision-making power.
(40) Introducing a modern college system with Chinese characteristics
(41) Improving primary and middle school management.
Chapter 14: Reform on School-Running System
(42) Stepping up reform of schools’ operational systems.
(43) Strong support for nongovernmental education.
(44) Managing nongovernmental schools according to law.
Chapter 15: Reform of Education Administration System
(45) Improving the education administration system with strong coordination and well-defined rights, responsibilities.
(46) Stepping up overall planning for education under provincial administration.
(47) Changing government functions on education.
Chapter 16: Further Opening China’s Education
(48) Promoting international exchanges and cooperation
(49) Introducing quality education resources abroad.
(50) Upgrading exchanges and cooperation.
Section IV: Guaranteeing Measures
Chapter 17: Strengthening Building of the Teachers’ Contingent
(51) Building a vast contingent of quality teachers.
(52) Promoting professional ethics among teachers.
(53) Raising teachers’ professional efficiency.
(54) Heightening teachers’ social status, salaries, benefits.
(55) Streamlining administration over teachers.
Chapter 18: Ensuring Education Input
(56) Increasing education investment.
(57) Improving distribution mechanism
(58) Tightening up fund management.
Chapter 19: Accelerating Informatization in Education
(59) Speeding up information infrastructure construction
(60) Developing and applying more quality education resources.
(61) Building state education information management system
Chapter 20: Promoting Rule of Law in Education
(62) Improving educational legislations
(63) Boosting all-round administration by law
(64) Vigorously advance on-campus rule of law.
(65) Enhancing superintendence, supervision and accountability
Chapter 21: Major Projects and Pilot Reform Programs
(66) Major projects to be organized and undertaken
(67) Pilot reform to be undertaken.
Chapter 22: Intensifying Organization and Leadership
(68) Shoring up and improving the leaderships over education.
(69) Stepping up Party building in the realm of education.
(70) Maintaining harmony and stability in education system.
Implementation

In accordance with the strategic arrangement of the 17th Communist Party of China National Congress to “give priority to education and turn China into a country rich in human resources”, this Plan is formulated to enhance citizens’ overall quality, boost educational development in a scientific way, and speed up socialist modernization.

Preamble

A nation’s enduring future hinges on education. Education is the cornerstone of national rejuvenation and social progress, and a fundamental way to improve citizens’ quality and promote their all-round development, bearing the hope of millions of families for a better life. Education must be enhanced if a nation is to prosper. Giving priority to developing education and raising its modernization level are key to attaining the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and making China a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious modern socialist country.

The Party and the State have all along put a premium on education. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the entire Party and society, working hard under the leadership of Party’s three generations of central collective leadership with Comrades Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin at the core, and the Party’s Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary, have blazed a road to develop socialist education with Chinese characteristics, established the world’s largest education system, and guaranteed the right to education for billions of Chinese. Education funding is growing by large margins, while school-running conditions have improved dramatically; education reform is going steadily in depth, as school-running proficiency is rising without letup. Since the beginning of the 21st century, free compulsory education has become the norm in urban and rural areas, while vocational education has made headway fast. In the meantime, higher education reached a new stage of popularization, as rural education grew in strength. Remarkable progress has also been made in achieving education equity. Education development has vastly enhanced the quality of the entire nation, and stimulated innovation in science, technology and cultural prosperity, thereby making irreplaceable and significant contributions to China’s economic growth, social progress, and the betterment of people’s livelihood. In the intervening years, our nation has accomplished the transition from a populous nation to a nation with larger scale of human resource.

The world today is undergoing great development, profound changes and major adjustments. Both world multi-polarization and economic globalization are witnessing in-depth development. Science and technology are making rapid strides, and competition for talents or professionals is intensifying with each passing day. China is currently at a key stage for reform and development, as all-round progress is being made in economic, political, cultural and social development as well as in promoting ecological civilization. As industrialization, informatization, urbanization, marketization, and internationalization develop in depth, China is seeing increasing pressure from its vast population, limited natural resources, the environment, and its transformation of economic growth pattern. All those have highlighted the pressing need to enhance citizens’ quality and cultivate innovative personnel. The future development and great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation are predicated on talents or professionals, and on education. 

In the face of unprecedented opportunities and challenges, we must stay levelheaded about the fact that education in this nation is still lagging behind the requirements of national socioeconomic development and people’s demand for fine education. Our concept of education and our teaching contents and methodology are relatively outdated, schoolwork burdens on primary and middle school students too heavy, the promotion of quality education arrested, our students weak in their adaptability to society, and innovative, practical and versatile professionals in acute shortage. Our education system and mechanisms are yet perfect. Schools lack vitality in their operations, and the structure and geographical distribution of education resources are yet to be put on an even keel. Impoverished and ethnic autonomous areas are trailing behind in education development, which is also uneven between urban and rural areas and between different regions. Education funding cannot keep up with demands, and education is yet to be accorded the strategic priority it deserves. To receive quality education is the outcry of the people, and to deepen education reform has been public’s shared desire. 

The destiny of our nation rests on education. People across the country are duty-bound to rejuvenate education. Education development should always be put in a prioritized position on Party and state agenda. In line with the requirements to reach out to modernization, the world and the future, and to meet the demands for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and an innovative country, it is imperative to regard cultivation of people as a fundamental mission, draw strength from reform and innovation, improve education equity, carry out quality oriented education in an all-round way, push forward scientific education development from a new historical starting point, and speed up the transition from the world’s largest education system to one of the world’s best, and from a country with larger scale of human resource to a country rich in human resources. Only thus can we make still greater contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the advancement of world civilization.

Section I: General Strategy

Chapter 1: Guidelines and Executive Principles

(1) Guidelines. 

The guidelines of National Plan Outline should be as follows: 

•	Upholding the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, taking Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents as the guideline, implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development in depth, carrying out the strategy of rejuvenating the nation through science and education and the strategy of making the nation strong by relying on talents or professionals, giving priority to education development, improving a socialist modern education system with Chinese features, running education to the satisfaction of the people, and building our nation into a country rich in human resources.

•	Carrying out the Party’s principles on education, persisting in making education serve the people and the socialist modernization drive, integrating education with production, labor and social practice, and cultivating socialist builders and successors that are well developed morally, intellectually, physically and aesthetically.

•	Comprehensively promoting the scientific development of education, basing on the basic conditions of our nation at the primary stage of socialism, adhering to the principle of putting people first, following the norms of education, meeting the public’s needs, optimizing the structure layout, and raising the level of modernization in education.

(2) Executive principles. 

There should be five principles, namely, giving priority to development, taking the cultivation of people as the starting point, carrying out reform and innovation, promoting equity, and improving quality.

•	Giving strategic priority to education development. Giving high priority to education development is a paramount, long-term principle advocated and upheld by the Party and the state. Party committees and governments at all levels should regard giving priority to educational development as one of the fundamental prerequisites for implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development, and guarantee priority to education in local socio-economic development plans, financial arrangements, and public resource allocation. The entire society should be mobilized to care for and support education, jointly shoulder the responsibility of nurturing the younger generation, and create a good environment for the healthy growth of young people. Systems and policies shall be perfected to encourage non-governmental sector to run schools, and expand the input of social resources in education.

•	Regarding putting the cultivation of people before everything else as the bottom line for education. Human resources are the foremost of all resources for our nation’s economic development, and education is the main channel to develop human resources. Education should always be student-oriented, with teachers playing a leading role in order to mobilize the initiatives of the students. Healthy development should be the starting point and the basis of all schools’ work. Schools should care for every student, and help them grow in a lively way and take the initiative into their own hands. It is essential to respect the norms of education, follow the law governing students’ physical and mental development, and provide every student with suitable education. We must cultivate and bring forth quality workers by hundreds of millions, competent professionals by tens of millions, and a large number of top-notch innovative personnel.

•	Treating reform and innovation as a mighty driving force for education development. Reform is pivotal to education development. Localities and schools should be encouraged to explore and conduct experiments, focusing on institutional reform, and to speed up reforms in key areas. It is imperative to renovate talent or professional cultivation, school operation and education administration, overhaul quality evaluation, examination and enrollment, revamp teaching contents, methods and approaches, and put a modern school system in place. The conflicts between the need of economic and social development for diversified quality talents or professionals and the incapacities to produce adequate talents or professionals, between the public’s longing for better education and the relative shortage in education resources, and between the need to invigorate education and the institutional impediments to it should be addressed, in order to fuel sustainable and healthy education development.

•	Making equal access to education a basic state policy. Equal access to education is a major cornerstone of social justice. Equal opportunities hold the key to equal access to education. The fundamental requirement of education equity is that all citizens have equal rights to receive education according to law. It is key to boost coordinated development of compulsory education, and to help and support the underprivileged. The fundamental way to achieve this is to allocate education resources reasonable, give preferences to rural, impoverished, remote and border areas and ethnic autonomous areas, and to bridge the gap in education development. To ensure equal access to education is and always has been a government responsibility, but it cannot be done without concerted public efforts.

•	Considering quality improvement as the core task for education reform and development. It is essential to foster a scientific outlook on quality, and set promoting people’s all-round development and meeting society’s needs as the crucial criteria when evaluating education quality. Our outlook on education development should be centered on quality improvement, and great importance should be attached to the connotative development of education. Schools should be encouraged to distinguish themselves with first-rate education quality, and to produce renowned teachers and topnotch talents or professionals. Improving education quality should be a guideline for school administration and operation. The allocation of education resources and every school’s work agenda should be focused on strengthening teaching and learning and raising education quality. State standards for education quality should be worked out along with a state framework to guarantee the quality. Efforts to put together a contingent of qualified teachers should be stepped up, and teachers’ overall quality enhanced.

Chapter 2: Strategic Goals and Themes

(3) Strategic goals. 

The strategic goals to be attained by the year 2020 are to basically modernize education, bring a learning society into shape, and turn China into a country rich in human resources.

•	Further Popularize education. By 2020, preschool education shall be basically universalized while popularization of nine-year compulsory education shall be consolidated and enhanced. Meanwhile, senior middle school education shall become the norm, with a 90% gross enrolment rate, and higher education shall be further popularized, with a gross enrolment rate of 40%. Illiteracy shall be eliminated among the young and the middle-aged. The average number of years of education received by newly-added members of the workforce shall rise from 12.4 to 13.5 years. The average number of years of education received by the working-age (20-59 years old) population shall extend from 9.5 to 11.2 years. Twenty percent of the working-age population shall have finished higher education by 2020, doubling that of 2009..

•	Delivering equal education to everyone. Education should remain public welfare-oriented in nature, and equal access to it shall be safeguarded. All citizens should have access to fine education according to the law. A basic public education service network covering both urban and rural areas shall be set up, in which equal services are provided and regional disparities in this field are narrowed down. Stepped-up efforts should be made to run every school well, and bring the best possible education to every student. No child shall drop out of school due to family financial woes. Equal compulsory education opportunities for children of rural migrant workers in cities shall be provided in a down-to-earth way. Disabled people’s right to education shall be also guaranteed without fail.

•	Offering quality education in various ways. The quality of education as a whole shall be enhanced, while its modernization level shall rise by a significant margin. The aggregate volume of high-quality education resources shall grow steadily to better meet people’s demands for quality education. Dramatic improvement shall be registered in students’ ideological awareness, moral conduct, scientific and cultural attainment, and physical health. The capabilities of professionals in all fields of endeavor to serve the nation and the people and to take part in global competition shall be increased vastly.

•	Building a consummate framework for lifelong education. Diploma-granting education shall develop in coordination with non-diploma education. Vocational education shall be connected with regular education, and there shall also be a smooth link between pre-job and on-the-job education. The attendance rate of further or continuing education shall go up by a wide margin, as 50% of the job-holders should have received such education. The modern national education system shall be perfected, and a basic framework for lifelong education shall be in place, so that everyone can be taught what they want to learn, excel at what they learn, and put what they have learned into use.

•	Establishing a full-fledged, vibrant education system. It is imperative to further emancipate our mind, update our concepts, deepen educational reform, open education still wider, and bring about an education system that is congenial to the socialist market economy and the objective of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Such an education system should also be vibrant, efficient, open, and well adapted to scientific development and the requirements to run world-class modern education with Chinese features.

(4) Strategic themes. 

Putting people first and fully implementing quality-oriented education are the strategic themes for our education reform and development, and requirements of this era to follow the Party’s principles on education. At the core of these themes is to as answer the questions of what kind of talents should be cultivated and how. The emphasis of the themes is to serve all the students, promote their all-round development, enhance their sense of social responsibility to serve the nation and the people, nurture their innovative and daring spirit to explore the unknown, and hone their abilities to solve practical problems. 

•	Always putting moral education in the first place. The system of socialist core values should be incorporated into the national education. Education in the progress made in adapting Marxism to Chinese reality should be enhanced to guide our students to form a correct perspective of the world, of life and of values. Education in ideals and faith, and moral education, should be promoted to fortify students’ faith and confidence in the Party’s leadership and the socialist system. Education on the patriotism-centered national spirit and the spirit of the times centering on reform and innovation should also be enhanced. It is necessary to promote education in socialist concepts of honor and disgrace, enable students to cherish unity and mutual assistance, be honest, trustworthy, disciplined, law-abiding and hard-working, and to embrace a plain lifestyle. We need to step up education about citizenship and establish socialist concepts of democracy, the rule of law, freedom, equality, equity and justice for the students, and turn them into qualified socialist citizens. We will further enhance education on the fine traditions of Chinese culture and on revolutionary traditions. Moral education should be incorporated into teaching and learning at schools, at home and in the society. Moral education for juveniles and ideological and political education for college students should be enhanced. An interwoven system of moral education that effectively encompasses primary, secondary and tertiary schools should be formulated. Moral education should be enriched, and new forms of pedagogy found. Sustained efforts should be made to make moral education more appealing and effective. The quality of the team of instructors and class advisors should be enhanced.

•	Emphasizing capacity building. It is essential to optimize the knowledge structure, enrich social practice and intensify capacity building for the students. Every effort should be made to improve the students’ capacity to learn, practice and innovate, teach them knowledge and expertise, help them learn how to use their hands and minds, how to survive, make a living, and behave themselves, and enable them to adapt to the society on their own and create a beautiful future. 

•	Stressing all-round development. Moral education, intellectual education, physical education, and aesthetic education shall be stepped up and improved in an all-round way. It is imperative to give equal footings to cultural learning and moral edification, to theoretical study and social practice, and to all-round development and individual characteristics. Great importance should be attached to physical health. We must guarantee students’ physical education courses and time for extracurricular activities, and improve the quality of physical education. In the mean time, fine education in mental health shall be provided to improve students’ mental and physical health. Education in aesthetics shall be intensified to instill a cultured aesthetical taste and enhance their cultural attainment. Labor education should be strengthened, to cultivate their love for work and the working people. Due attention shall be paid to education in personal and campus safety, human life, national defense, and sustainable development. Education in morality, intelligence, physical health and aesthetics should be integrated. Students’ overall quality shall be further honed, with a view to turn them into socialist builders and successors that are well developed morally, intellectually, physically and aesthetically. 

Box 1:  Major goals for education development from 2009 to 2020
Indicators	Units	2009	2015	2020	
Preschool education		
Number of children in kindergartens 
Gross attendance rate for those entering kindergartens 1 year before starting school
Gross attendance rate for those entering kindergartens 2 years before starting school
Gross attendance rate for those entering kindergartens 3 years before starting school	Million

%

%

%	26.58

74.0

65.0

50.9	34.0

85.0

70.0

60.0	40.0

95.0

80.0

70.0	
Nine-year compulsory education		
Number of students in school
Retention rate of students 	Million
%	157.72
90.8	161.0
93.5	165.0
95.0	
Senior middle school education*		
Number of students in school 
Gross enrollment rate 	Million
%	46.24
79.2	45.0
87.0	47.0
90.0	
Vocational education		
Number of students in secondary vocational 
schools 
Number of students in higher vocational 
colleges 	
Million

Million	
21.79

12.8	
22.5

13.9	
23.5

14.8	
Higher education**		
Total enrollments 
Number of university/college students on campus
of which: number of postgraduates
Gross enrollment rate 	Million
Million
Million
%	29.79
28.26
1.4
24.2	33.5
30.8
1.7
36.0	35.5
33.0
2.0
40.0	
Further or continuing education		
Number of on-the-job learners in further or
continuing education	million times	
166.0	
290.0	
350.0	
Note: * including students in secondary vocational schools; ** including students in higher vocational colleges.

Box 2:  Major goals for human resource development from 2009 to 2020
Indicators	Units	2009	2015	2020	
Number of people with higher education	Million	98.3	145.0	195.0	
Average number of years of education received 
by the working-age(20-59 years old) population 
of which: percentage of those having received higher education 	
Year

%	
9.5

9.9	
10.5

15.0	
11.2

20.0	
Average number of years of education received by newly-added members of the workforce 
of which: percentage of those having received senior middle school or higher education	
Year

%	
12.4

67.0	
13.3

87.0	
13.5

90.0	

Section II: Development Missions

Chapter 3: Preschool Education

(5) Basically universalizing preschool education. 

Preschool education is key to physical and mental growth of the children and to their habit fostering and intellectual development. It is imperative to follow the law governing children’s mental and physical development, persist in scientific nursing and teaching methods, and ensure children’s happy and healthy growth. Efforts should be made to actively push forward preschool education. By 2020, one-year preschool education should become the norm, while two-year preschool education should be basically universalized, and three-year preschool education popularized in regions where conditions are ripe. Due importance shall be attached to the education of infants aged between 0 and 3. 

(6) Defining government responsibilities.

Preschool education shall be listed in urban and new socialist countryside development plans. A government-led kindergarten management mechanism, which includes social participation and pools both public and private resources, shall be established. Stepped-up efforts should be made to develop public kindergartens, and to support non-governmental ones. Government shall increase input, so that the costs involved are shared on a rational basis. Support shall be given to families that cannot afford preschool education. Management of preschool education should be improved, while kindergarten management standards shall be drawn up. An approval system for kindergarten establishment shall be established, and administrative approaches to regulate tuition fees shall be improved. We should strictly implement the qualification standards for preschool teachers, and enhance teachers’ trainings, so as to improve their overall quality. Kindergarten teachers’ social status, salaries and benefits shall be guaranteed in accordance with relevant laws. Preschool education shall be put under the overall guidance and administration of the government’s education departments, and the departments concerned should perform their respective duties and mobilize the entire society to strengthen preschool education. 

(7) Strengthening preschool education in rural areas. 

It is necessary to universalize preschool education in rural areas, and make sure that all the children left behind by parents working away from their home villages are sent to kindergartens. Rural preschool education resources shall be replenished by all means. New kindergartens shall be built while old ones are rebuilt and expanded. Kindergarten (preschool classes) can be held by making full use of the surplus middle and primary school buildings and teachers as authorities readjust the layout of the schools. The central kindergarten in townships must play a model role in guiding the village kindergartens. Preschool education in impoverished areas shall also be supported. 

Chapter 4: Compulsory Education

(8) Consolidating, enhancing nine-year compulsory education.

School-age children must receive compulsory education according to Chinese laws. Compulsory education in China is legal-biding, free, universal, and the most critical part of all phases of education. Compulsory education should focus on cultivating the students’ moral conducts, stimulating their learning interests and improve their physical health, and help them foster fine habits. By 2020, compulsory education shall be universalized at a higher level, while teaching quality should be improved comprehensively. The development of preschool education shall be basically balanced among different regions, and all school-age children and adolescents should be guaranteed with access to high-quality compulsory education. 

Progress made in universalizing compulsory education shall be consolidated. According to the requirements for urban and rural development, geographical layout of schools shall be well planned, and necessary teaching venues should be set up, so that students can attend schools near their homes. The task of ensuring equal compulsory education for children living with migrant worker parents in cities shall be ensured primarily by local governments and allotted mainly to public primary and middle schools. Rules and regulations shall be studied and formulated to accommodate these children to take entrance examinations for higher schools upon finishing compulsory education without going back to their home villages. A care and service framework and a monitoring mechanism operated chiefly by the government and participated by the public for the children left behind in villages by rural migrant worker parents shall be set up and perfected. Establishment of rural boarding schools shall be accelerated, with priority given to the accommodation needs of the left-behind children. Necessary measures shall be made to ensure that school-age children do not have to drop out of school for financial difficulties, lack of access to schools, or poor academic performance. Efforts should also be made to discourage students from giving up on their studies.

The quality of compulsory education shall be improved. Basic national standards and a monitoring system for the quality of compulsory education shall be established. The national curriculum standards for compulsory education and teachers’ credentials also shall be applied strictly. Curricular and teaching method reforms shall be deepened, while small-class teaching shall be promoted. Teaching posts of music, physical education, art and other subjects shall be filled, and schools shall offer all subjects required without omission. The use of Mandarin Chinese and the standard written forms of simplified Chinese characters shall be promoted vigorously in teaching. 

Students’ physical health shall be improved. Studies, daily life and physical exercises shall be arranged on a scientific basis, while ample sleep hours should be guaranteed. “Sunshine sports” shall be promoted to ensure that every student has one hour each day to conduct keep-fit exercises to improve their physical health. Healthy diet shall be advocated to improve students’ nutrition, and the nutrition level of rural students in impoverished areas shall be raised. The eyesight of students must be protected.

(9) Promoting balanced development in compulsory education. 

Balanced development is a strategic mission for compulsory education. To achieve this goal, a mechanism to safeguard balanced compulsory education development should be set up and perfected. Construction of standardized schools for compulsory education shall be promoted, and teachers, equipment, books, school buildings and other resources should be allotted in a balanced manner.

The teaching quality gap between schools shall be bridged in a down-to-earth way, and major efforts should be made to address the problem of parents choosing the best school for their children. Schools with of weak teaching abilities should be strengthened, and no effort should be spared to improve teachers’ proficiency level. Exchanges of teachers and school principals within counties should be realized. Quotas for enrollment in high quality senior middle schools and secondary vocational schools shall be distributed rationally among local junior middle schools. No elite schools and classes shall be installed in compulsory education. Under the prerequisite that school-age children and adolescents should attend public schools near home, nongovernmental schools shall be developed to offer more schooling choices.

Efforts to bridge the education development gap between urban and rural areas shall be accelerated. A framework shall be brought forth to integrate urban and rural areas in compulsory education development, with preference given to rural areas in fiscal funding, school construction and teachers’ allocation. Coordinated urban and rural development shall be realized first in counties before it is promoted in broader scope.

Every effort shall be made to reduce interregional disparities. Fiscal transfer payments shall be increased in favor of compulsory education development in old revolutionary base areas, ethnic autonomous regions, border areas and poverty-stricken areas. Developed regions are encouraged to assist underdeveloped regions. 

(10) Lessening schoolwork burdens on primary, middle school students. 

Heavy schoolwork is harmful to the mental and physical well-being of youngsters and children. Reducing the schoolwork burdens on students is the society’s shared responsibility. Governments, schools, families and communities must jointly address the problem by addressing both its symptoms and root causes. Schoolwork burden reduction shall be implemented at primary and middle schools. We shall enable the students to learn in lively ways and grow up happily and healthily. Primary school students should be the first to have their heavy burdens cut down.

Governments at all levels shall regard reducing heavy schoolwork burdens as a major task for education work, as well as a goal that calls for overall planning and all-dimensional implementation. Textbook contents shall be readjusted and their degree of difficulty redesigned on a scientific footing. The ways and means to test and evaluate student performance and to appraise school operation shall be reformed. School-running operations shall be standardized, and a framework should be instituted to monitor students’ schoolwork burdens and inform the public of it. Schools can neither be ranked according to rate of students’ admission to higher schools, nor the enrollment indexes. Preparatory organizations and tutorial markets should be regulated. We shall also strengthen the construction and management of venues for extracurricular activities, to enrich the extracurricular activities for students.

Schools should reduce students’ schoolwork burdens so as to give students enough time to learn about the society, think deeply, practice more, and do exercises and amuse themselves. It is imperative to improve teachers’ professional quality, their teaching methods and efficiency, while cutting down on homework and classroom examinations. Students’ interest in studies and hobbies should be nurtured. The curricula and syllabi should be followed strictly, and on no account should teaching hours and lessons’ difficulty levels be increased. The scores of graded examinations and competitions of various kinds shall not be used to in school enrollment and advances to higher grades during compulsory education.

Family education should play its full part as children and adolescents grow. Parents should have the right concepts for education, master scientific ways of education, respect children’s salubrious interests and temperaments, help their children foster fine habits, and communicate and work more closely with schools to reduce students’ schoolwork burdens.

Chapter 5: Senior Middle School Education

(11) Accelerating popularization of senior middle school education.

Senior middle school education, which covers a pivotal period in students’ self-development and their personality traits, is of special significance to improve citizens’ quality and cultivating innovative personnel. Attention shall be paid to cultivating self-study and self-support abilities and social adaptability in students, to helping students overcome the tendency of examination-oriented education. By 2020, senior middle school education shall be universalized to meet junior middle school graduates’ need for senior middle school education. 

Appropriate enrollment ratios shall be set for regular senior middle schools and secondary vocational schools in light of socioeconomic development needs. These two categories of schools shall generally maintain the same enrollment scale for some time to come. More assistance shall be granted to senior middle school education in impoverished areas in central and western regions. 

(12) Improving students’ quality in all respects in senior middle school.
 
Curricular reform shall be pushed forward in depth, and syllabi implemented in an all-round way, so that students can finish studies of all required subjects in liberal arts and sciences. Favorable conditions shall be furnished to open a variety of elective courses, provide more choices for students, and set the stage for comprehensive and personalized student development. Classes crammed with too many students shall be phased out step by step. Inquiry learning (or projects), community service and social practices shall be carried out vigorously. A scientific teaching quality evaluation system shall be in place, and academic proficiency tests and comprehensive evaluation of student quality should be instituted throughout senior middle school education. A student development steering framework shall be set up to step up guidance over students’ ideals, mental health, and academic studies. 

(13) Promoting diversification of senior middle schools.

The school-running system shall be diversified, and high-quality education resources shall be expanded. It is also necessary to diversify the modes of education and meet the needs of students with different potentials. More ways and means for discovering and cultivating innovative personnel shall be explored. Senior middle schools shall be encouraged to distinguish themselves with unique features, and, if possible，offer vocational trainings. The mode of developing comprehensive senior middle schools shall be studied. Vocational education shall be offered through various ways to students at school and graduates who have failed to enter college. 

Chapter 6：Vocational Education

(14) Intensifying efforts in developing vocational education. 

Expanding vocational education must be given more precedence partly because it is a major channel through which to boost economic growth, promote employment, improve people’s livelihood and address issues pertinent to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and partly because it is a key link in mitigating structural conflicts between labor supply and demand. Vocational education should reach out to people and society, and cultivate work ethics, occupational skills, employability and career-starting abilities in students. By 2020, a modern vocational education system with well coordinated secondary and higher vocational education shall have come to stay to meet the requirements of adjusting the economic development mode and restructuring the industries, to embody the philosophy for lifelong education, and to satisfy the demand of the people for vocational education and the needs of the economy and society for high-caliber workers and skilled personnel. 

Governments must be responsible to make pragmatic moves to expand vocational education, incorporate it in socioeconomic and industrial development programs, and adapt its scale and range of programs to socioeconomic development needs. Secondary and higher vocational education shall be developed under overall planning. Sound mechanisms shall be introduced to enable funds injection in multiple channels so as to increase investment in vocational education. 

Major efforts shall be concentrated on quality improvement. School instruction and student learning shall be further transformed into service- and employment-oriented model. Talents or professionals shall be cultivated by integrating work with study, through collaboration between schools and enterprises, and by filling students in work posts in fieldwork. Classroom education shall be developed simultaneously with occupational training, and full-time schools be developed along with part-time schools. Basic operational standards for vocational schools shall be worked out. The cultivation of a teaching force, which is proficient in both theories and skills and the construction of training bases should be strengthened for upgrading the fundamentals of vocational education. We shall establish and improve a system for skilled personnel to teach in the vocational schools. The standards for teachers’ credentials and the methods for accrediting professional technical titles shall be tailored to the peculiarities of vocational education. A feasible system shall be set up to guarantee the quality of vocational education. Vocational schools shall invite enterprises to join in teaching quality evaluation, and hold competitions of occupational skills. 

(15) Mobilizing the enthusiasm of industries and enterprises in vocational education.

School-running mechanisms shall be devised with the government playing the leading role, industries offering guidance, and enterprises participating. Legislation shall be enacted to advance and institutionalize cooperation between vocational schools and enterprises. Industrial associations and enterprises shall be encouraged to run vocational schools or entrust these schools to train their workers. Incentives shall be granted to enterprises to invest more in vocational education, accept students for fieldwork or in-service training, and accommodate teachers to practice what they teach in the classroom. 

(16) Speeding up vocational education development to meet the needs of rural areas.

Intensifying vocational education shall be regarded as a major endeavor to serve the drive to build socialist brand-new villages. Basic education, vocational education and adult education shall be better coordinated, so as to promote the integration of agriculture, science and education. The responsibilities of provincial and prefecture-level city governments for developing rural vocational education shall be enhanced. Vocational education and training shall be expanded to cover more rural areas. A good job shall be done in running county-level vocational education and occupational training centers according to local needs. Comprehensive arrangements, coordination and multipurpose utilization of vocational education resources shall be stepped up to promote collaboration between urban and rural areas and between regions, and to make vocational education better serve agriculture, rural areas and farmers. Teaching and training programs on agriculture shall be upgraded, and more efforts made in training professionals to meet agricultural and rural development needs. Schools at all levels and of all kinds shall be supported to participate in the training of new types of farmers who are educated, skilled, and can operate their business. We shall conduct training programs for city-bound rural migrant workers, as well as those who have quit farming in favor of new jobs. Governments shall provide free work preparation training progressively for the new rural labors.

(17) Making vocational education more appealing. 

State policy support of vocational education shall be improved, free-of-charge secondary vocational education made available gradually and systematically, and financial aid for students with financial difficulties bolstered up. A “dual certification” system that grants students with both a diploma and a vocational permit upon graduation shall be installed, and the specialized curricular contents of vocational schools and colleges aligned with the professional standards. It is necessary to tighten up the work permits system, and carry out the stipulation that graduates must be trained before they become eligible for jobs. The approach of vocational education and training will be developed for retired soldiers. A curricular connectional framework shall be shaped for vocational education. Graduates shall be encouraged to go on with on-the-job studies, and the system for enrolling vocational school graduates in higher schools shall be bettered in an effort to open up more channels for graduates to continue with their studies. Skilled personnel’s status, salaries and benefits shall be raised, and those who have made outstanding contributions shall be cited and publicized more forcefully, so as to foster an atmosphere in which every trade or occupation can bring forth its own “ace” masters or leaders. 

Chapter 7: Higher Education

(18) Raising higher education quality in an all-round way.

Higher education performs the important task of cultivating high-caliber professionals, developing science, technology and culture, and promoting the socialist modernization drive. Raising quality is at the heart of this task, and a basic requirement of the effort to build the nation into a power to be reckoned with in the global higher education landscape. By 2020, the structure of higher education shall become more balanced and distinctive, and it shall also go up a notch in talent or professional cultivation, scientific research and social service as a whole. Quite a few world-famous universities with original features shall come to the fore; some of them shall have reached or approached the level of world-class universities. China’s higher education shall have vastly sharpened its global competitive edge. 

(19) Bettering cultivation of talents or professionals. 

The fostering of young talents or professionals shall command a central position in college work, and no effort shall be spared to produce high-caliber professionals and top-notch innovators with steadfast faith, moral integrity, rich knowledge, and superb abilities. Input in teaching shall be boosted for this purpose. Teaching shall be as the primary content of teacher assessment. Letting professors to teach lower grade students shall be set as an important system. The building of the infrastructure shall be stepped up, including laboratories, on- and off-campus fieldwork bases, teaching programs and textbooks. Reform of classroom instruction and student learning shall be deepened. A credit system shall be promoted and improved, an elastic schooling system installed, and liberal arts and sciences mingled. Students shall be urged to participate in scientific research; teaching in practice intensified. The employment entrepreneurship education and career guidance service shall be strengthened. A new framework shall be provided to rally the efforts of higher educational institutions, research institutes, industries and enterprises in fostering talents or professionals. A project to ensure undergraduate teaching quality and transform college education shall be undertaken comprehensively. Governance over teaching shall be tightened up, and teaching quality guaranteed institutionally. College teaching evaluation shall be improved. Students shall be fully motivated and inspired to study diligently and by taking the initiative into their own hands; they shall also be urged to study hard, heighten their sense of honesty and credibility, and develop a good style of study. 

Major efforts shall be devoted to revamping the education of postgraduates. A system shall be installed to put research projects on sciences and engineering technologies under the patronage and responsibility of mentors, along with a relevant financial assistance system. A “double mentor system” shall be introduced so as to combine production, scholarship and research in grooming postgraduate students. A postgraduate education innovation plan shall come underway. We shall strengthen management and improve continuously the quality of postgraduates, especially doctor candidates.

(20) Elevating research levels. 

It is essential to make the most of the pivotal role of higher educational institutions in the state innovation system by encouraging them to contribute to innovation in knowledge, technology, national defense, and to regional innovation systems. Researches in natural science, technological science, philosophy and social sciences shall be carried out in a big way. While serving national objectives, higher educational institutions shall also give their researchers a free hand to explore the unknown, and intensify basic researches. Researches in applied sciences shall be strengthened, with the main thrust on major practical issues. Higher educational institutions, research institutes and enterprises shall be urged to share scientific and technological resources. Higher educational institutions shall be encouraged to renovate their organizational patterns, cultivate interdisciplinary teams that combine research and teaching, and promote interaction between them. Personnel training and innovation shall be combined to give full play to the role of graduate students in scientific research. Construction of crucial college research and innovation bases and sci-tech innovation platforms shall be stepped up. Mechanisms for innovation- and quality-oriented evaluation of research results shall be ameliorated. Higher educational institutions shall also take an active part in studying and developing Marxist theories. A program for boosting college studies in philosophy and social sciences shall be carried out in depth. 

(21) Buttressing social service capacities. 

Higher educational institutions shall foster a willingness to take the initiative to serve society in all dimensions. Integration of production, scholarship, research and application shall be promoted, and transfers of scientific research results into productivity speeded up. The development of school-run enterprises will be regulated. Universities and colleges must provide continuing education services to citizens. It is necessary for higher educational institutions to popularize science and raise public attainments in science and humanities, promote cultural communication, carry forward fine cultural traditions and develop advanced culture. They should also be active to provide consultancy for decision makers, take the initiative to engage in forward-looking and strategic researches, and make the most of their roles as brain banks and think tanks. Faculty and students shall be encouraged to work as volunteers. 

(22) Optimizing a distinctive higher education structure. 

A dynamic regulatory framework shall be set up, and the higher education structure optimized without letup to meet national and regional socioeconomic development needs. The optimization of disciplines and sequences of courses, and the restructuring of faculties shall be focused on promoting disciplinary crossing and integration, on expanding the cultivation of professionals with applicable expertise and versatile talent or professional, and on accelerating the development of degree-granting graduate studies in specified fields. Higher education’s geographical structure shall be optimized, and a special fund set up in support of local higher education development. The Higher Education Rejuvenation Plan for Central and Western Regions shall be carried out. New college enrollment quotas shall be tipped in favor of central and western regions that are poor in higher education resources, and eastern colleges’ enrollment in central and western regions expanded. Eastern colleges shall be urged to redouble their support for their western counterparts, and east China shall be encouraged to take the lead in developing higher education. We will establish sound systems of military personnel training that integrate military with civilian purposes and combine military efforts with civilian support. 

Higher educational institutions shall be urged to run themselves in distinctive ways, and be categorized and governed accordingly. The impact of policy guidance and resource allocation shall be brought into play to guide higher educational institutions to position themselves properly in the higher education system, overcome the tendency toward homogeneity, foster distinctive school-running philosophies and styles, distinguish themselves at different levels and in different fields, and strive to be the best. 

The building of first-class universities and faculties shall be accelerated. Project 985 shall be carried out in innovative ways on the basis of establishing crucial disciplines and faculties and a platform for innovation in advantageous disciplines. Project 211 shall move on, and projects devoted to distinguished and advantageous disciplines shall be initiated. College governance shall be improved, competitive mechanisms introduced, performance evaluation conducted, and dynamic management carried out. Higher educational institutions shall be urged to open their best faculties to the world, and to participate in or set up collaborative international academic organizations or global science plans; they shall also be encouraged to join top-notch education and research institutes abroad in establishing united research and development centers. The building of world-class and high-level universities shall pick up speed, so as to cultivate top-notch innovators and world-class disciplines, achieve original results at advanced level in the world, and contribute to the effort to raise the nation’s comprehensive strength. 

Chapter 8: Further or Continuing Education

(23) Accelerating development in further education. 

Designed for all members of society who have finished school education, adults in particular, further education is an integral part of a lifelong learning system. It is necessary to keep upgrading the concept on education, increasing financial input, and focusing on improving the nation’s human resource capacity by vigorously developing non-degree further education, steadily expanding diploma-granting further education. The education for the aged population shall be emphasized on. The entire population shall be encouraged to cultivate a reading habit. Community education shall be carried out extensively in urban and rural areas, and all kinds of learning organizations shall be established at a faster rate. We will make ours basically a society in which every citizen is committed to learning and pursues lifelong learning. 

(24) Putting further education under a sound framework.

The government shall set up trans-departmental coordinating organizations to provide overall planning and guidance for further education. Further education shall be included in the general development plans of industries and localities. Administrative departments or associations of industries shall take charge of drawing up further education plans and procedures for their respective industries and trades. Enactment of legislation on further education shall be speeded up. Sound incentive mechanisms shall be introduced to further education. Further education shall be linked to personnel management system involving performance evaluation, appointment, title recognition, and vocational registration, among others. Individuals shall be encouraged to receive further education in various forms, and employers shall be urged to provide conditions for employees to receive further education. Supervision and evaluation on further education shall be tightened up. 

(25) Building a flexible, open system for lifelong education.

Education and training services shall be developed and regulated. Resources for further education shall be augmented under an overall plan. Schools, research institutes and enterprises shall be encouraged to develop further education. Community education organizations and networks shall be improved in urban and rural areas, and community education resources replenished. Major efforts shall be made to develop modern distance education, open platforms for distance further education and public service with satellites, television and the Internet as carriers, and offer learners with convenient, flexible and personalized learning opportunities. 

 “Flyovers” shall be built for lifelong learning. Horizontal and vertical connections between all kinds of education shall be promoted at all levels to make multiple choices available and meet people’s diverse learning and development needs. A sensible learning system that is liberal on enrollment but strict with graduation standards shall come to stay. A good job shall be done in running open universities and transforming higher education’s independent learning testing system. A framework shall be constructed to make way for the accumulation and transfer of academic credits in further education, and for mutual recognition and connection between different types of learning results. 

Chapter 9: Education for Ethnic Minorities

(26) Valuing and supporting education for ethnic minorities.

Speeding up educational development for ethnic minorities is of far-reaching importance to promoting socioeconomic development among these people and in the areas inhabited by them, and to enhancing unity between people of all ethnic backgrounds in striving for common prosperity and development. It is necessary to step up leadership over education for minority peoples, implement the Party’s ethnic policy, and work pragmatically to address the special impediments and outstanding problems that confront ethnic minorities and minority-inhabited areas in developing education. 

Education in ethnic unity shall be conducted extensively in schools at all levels and of all varieties. The Party’s ethnic theory and policy, and state laws and ordinances shall be introduced in textbooks, lectured in classrooms, and borne in students’ minds, and guidance shall be given to teachers and students in fostering Marxist outlooks on the motherland, ethnicity and religion, consolidating the grand unity between people of all ethnic backgrounds, and enhancing national proud and cohesion. 

(27) Raising education quality for ethnic minorities. 

Public education resources shall be deployed in favor of minority-inhabited areas. The central and local governments shall expand financial assistance to education for ethnic minority peoples. 

Promoting coordinated growth of all kinds of education at all levels in minority-inhabited areas. The achievements made by these areas in popularizing compulsory education shall be consolidated. The school-age children and adolescents must be ensured to receive compulsory education according to the law. Popularization rate and teaching quality shall be improved comprehensively. Border counties and impoverished counties in ethnic autonomous areas shall be supported to meet government standards for the construction of school buildings for compulsory education, with special efforts devoted to building boarding schools. Development in senior middle school education in the homelands of ethnic minorities shall be speeded up. Support shall also be granted to areas with a flimsy foundation for education to renovate, expand or build senior middle schools. No effort shall be spared to expand vocational education in minority-inhabited areas, and more support shall be granted to secondary vocational education in these areas. Higher education shall be developed in a big way in these areas as well. Universities for ethnic groups shall be aided in their efforts to step up development of disciplines and human resources, and their school-running quality shall be improved. A better job shall be done in running classes to prepare ethnic minority students for college. More support shall be granted to education development for ethnic minorities with small populations. 

No effort shall be spared to advance bilingual teaching, open Chinese language classes in every school, and popularize the national common language and writing system. Minority peoples’ right to be educated in native languages shall be respected and ensured. Bilingual preschool education shall be promoted. State support shall be given to teacher training, teaching research, and textbook compilation and publication. 

Schools in minority-inhabited areas shall get more help from their counterparts in other parts of the country under a “pairing-assistance” program. A conscientious job shall be done to organize and implement the efforts of developed provinces and municipalities in support of education in minority-inhabited areas. We shall explore various ways to attract more ethnic minority students to study in other inland provinces, using fully quality educational resources in those regions. Vocational schools that enroll students from minority-inhabited areas shall be operated well. Cultivation and training of teachers for minority-inhabited areas shall be intensified, and teachers’ political awareness and professional quality enhanced. The state shall draft incentive policies to encourage and support college graduates to teach in schools in minority-inhabited areas. These areas shall get the support they need to develop modern distance education and extend the coverage of quality education resources. 

Chapter 10: Special Education

(28) Caring for and supporting special education. 

Special education is a fundamental way to promote all-round development of the disabled and enable them to establish themselves in society. Governments at all levels shall speed up special education development, list it in local socioeconomic development plans, and put it high on their agenda. The whole society should care for and support special education.

Comprehensive character building in disabled students shall be enhanced. Importance shall be attached to tapping their potentials, making up for their physical disabilities, and helping them face up to life with optimism, self-respect, self-confidence, so that they can become independent, self-supporting members of society. Skill and job training of disabled students shall be intensified. 

(29) Improving special education system. 

By 2020, every prefecture, prefecture-level city, and every county that has more than 300,000 residents and a large number of disabled children shall have at least a special education school. Every school across the land shall create opportunities actively to accept disabled students. The number of disabled students enrolled by regular schools in both regular and special education classes shall grow steadily. Compulsory education shall be further popularized among disabled children and adolescents. The development of senior middle school education for the disabled shall be accelerated. Vocational education for the disabled shall be developed in a big way. Great importance shall be attached to higher education for the disabled. Preschool education for disabled children shall be boosted in ways well adapted to local conditions. 

(30) Perfecting guarantees for special education. 

The state shall formulate basic national standards for the operation of special education schools; and local governments shall set their own standards for per-student fiscal funding for such schools. More investment shall be made in special education. Regular schools shall be encouraged and aided to furnish agreeable learning and living conditions for the disabled students they have enrolled. The cultivation of special education teaching force shall be strengthened with redoubled efforts, and these teachers’ salaries and benefits shall be guaranteed with solid measures. The percentage of special education teachers to be cited and awarded shall be increased. More financial aid shall be dispensed to disabled students from hard-up families. Free senior middle school education will be made available to disabled students step by step. 

Section III: Educational System Reforms

Chapter 11: Reform of Cultivation System for Talents or Professionals 

(31) Updating concepts on talent or professional cultivation. 

The key to the ongoing education reform lies in upgrading the concept on education; its focus is on overhauling the system whereby talents or professionals are cultivated; and its purpose is to elevate the level of training professionals. We will foster the sense of all-round development and make an effort to bring forth high-caliber professionals that are well developed morally, intellectually, physically and in aesthetics. We will foster the sense that every person can grow into a talent or professional, so that education can be made to develop every student into a useful member of society. We will foster the sense of the diversity of talents and professionals, so that individuals’ personal choices can be respected, personalized development encouraged, and talents or professionals groomed in more than one way. We will foster the concept of lifelong learning and lay the groundwork for sustainable development. We will foster the concept of systematic cultivation, and enhance the links between higher educational institutions and primary and middle schools; between teaching, research and practice; between schools, families and society. We will strengthen the cooperation between schools, between schools and enterprises, between schools and research institutes and between China and other nations in cultivating talents or professionals, so that an open talent-cultivation system with flexible mechanisms, interlinked channels and diverse choices can come to stay.

(32) Innovating cultivation mode for talent or professional. 

We will meet the needs of national and social development and follow the regular patterns of education and the growth of talents or professionals. We will deepen education and teaching reforms, renovate education and teaching methods, and explore a variety of approaches of cultivation, so as to bring about a situation in which talents or professionals emerge in a constant stream, and top-notch innovators come forth without letup. 

Putting a premium on integrating learning with thinking. We will advocate teaching to be heuristic, exploratory, discussion-based, and participatory, and help students learn how to study. We will stimulate student’s curiosity, develop their interest and hobbies, and foster a fine environment for independent thinking, exploration and innovation. To meet the requirements of socioeconomic development and progress in science and technology, curricular reform should be stepped up, more and better textbooks compiled, and a textbook quality monitoring system set up and strengthened steadily. We will study and define the coral knowledge to be mastered by students in different periods of education, and formulate mechanisms by which teaching contents are renewed. The role of information technology shall be brought into full play, and public sharing of quality teaching resources promoted.

Paying due attention to unity of learning and practicing. We will persist in combining teaching with labor and social practice. We will develop practice and activity courses, and improve the effects of scientific experiments, productive practice and skills training for students. Public education resources shall be fully utilized to diversify off-campus and extracurricular activities. More after-school activity venues for primary and middle school students shall be built. Students’ associations and organizations shall be put under guidance. Students will be encouraged to take active part in volunteer service and programs for public good.
 
Teaching students according to their aptitude. We will be mindful of the differences between students in conduct and personality and develop every student’s potential. Innovative teaching management approaches shall be promoted, such as graded teaching, students taking the same course from different teachers, academic credit system, and a mentoring and tutorial system. Mechanisms shall be set up to assist students with learning difficulties. The way in which top students are groomed shall be improved; and assistance and guidance shall be offered to students who want to skip grades, transfer to other schools or majors, or select advanced courses. Open, equal and competitive approaches shall be improved in school and college enrollment. The method of recruiting students by recommendation from middle schools shall be improved, and the way graduate students are cultivated innovated. Ways and means shall be explored for the cultivation of top students in senior middle schools and higher educational institutions.

(33) Improving assessment of quality of education and assessment of talents

We will improve the evaluation of teaching. We will set up scientific and diverse benchmarks for such evaluation, according to teaching goals and concepts on talents or professionals. Teaching quality shall be evaluated with the participation of government, schools, parents and communities. We will keep records of students and improve the assessment of comprehensive quality. Diverse evaluation approaches that help promote student development shall be explored to encourage students to be optimistic and independent and become useful persons.
 
We will improve the evaluation and selection of talents or professionals, and create a fine environment for the cultivation of talents or professionals. We will foster a scientific outlook on talents or professionals, and establish a moral, ability and performance oriented mechanism to evaluate and discover talents, based on the requirements of posts of duty. Examination of practical abilities shall be intensified in selecting and employing talented people, and the tendency of employers going single-mindedly after employees with high academic records shall be curbed.

Chapter 12: Reform of Examinations and Enrollment Systems

(34) Advancing examination and enrollment reform.

Matriculation reform shall serve as the breakthrough in the effort to terminate the practice that a single round of examinations decides the destiny of a student, and the breakthrough in the implementation of quality-oriented education and the cultivation of innovative personnel. Methods for detaching enrollment from entrance examinations shall be explored in the principle of facilitating selection of students through scientific approaches, promoting better development of students, and safeguarding social justice. Professional institutions shall be entrusted to organize the implementation of these methods under overall government administration; schools shall make their own enrollment decisions according to law; and students shall be offered multiple choices. All these are designed to gradually bring about a new examination and enrollment system whereby examinations are given in different categories, and students are evaluated comprehensively and enrolled in diverse ways. We will step up management of examinations, improve the functions of professional examination organizations, and improve the ability and quality of services. We will set up a national education examination steering commission to study and formulate examination reform plans and guide pilots programs.

(35) Revamping examinations and enrollment at secondary stage.

We will perfect methods for junior middle schools to enroll students from local neighborhoods without entrance examinations. Academic aptitude examinations and evaluation of students’ comprehensive abilities shall be improved so as to provide more scientific backing for senior middle school enrollment. Senior middle schools’ examination and enrollment methods shall be straightened out, and full scope given to the guiding role of rationally distributed enrollment quotas for outstanding senior middle schools and secondary vocational schools. The procedures and methods for the enrollment of outstanding students shall be standardized. Secondary vocational schools shall enroll students or admit students on their own.

(36) Improving examinations and enrollment at tertiary stage.

Reform of the contents and forms of examinations shall be deepened, with the emphasis shifted to the testing of students’ comprehensive quality and abilities. A national bank of questions for examination subjects shall be established in compliance with college student selection requirements and the national curriculum, so as to make sure the state level examinations will be scientific and ensure the orientation and normalization. We will explore ways to hold several examinations a year on certain subjects, and explore the socialization of examinations. 
Categorized college entrance examinations shall be introduced step by step. National examinations for 4-year regular university/college entrance shall be organized uniformly across the nation, and vocational higher education examinations organized by provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities shall choose their own enrollment methods for adult higher education. We will deepen the reform in entrance examinations of graduate students, step up the testing of students’ innovative abilities, and give play to mentors and regulate their roles in the selection and enrollment process.

We will improve quota allocation and enrollment of higher education institutions, and introduce and enhance a sound and diverse enrollment mechanism, which is conducive to promoting equal opportunities in enrollment and the selection outstanding personnel. Unified national entrance examination scores shall continue to serve as the basis for 4-year regular university/college enrollment, and be combined with academic aptitude tests and overall quality evaluation to enroll outstanding students. Higher educational institutions may, on the basis of interview or testing results, enroll candidates that have exceptional talent or professional or skills and are up to education requirements. Senior middle school graduates that excel in studies or are well-developed in an all-round way may be enrolled through recommendation. Qualified candidates willing to take jobs in industries or trades or areas designated by the government may sign agreements with higher educational institutions before they are enrolled for studies in preparation for such jobs. Special procedures shall be designed to enroll, as exceptions, those who have made outstanding contributions to practical work or who have special talents or professionals. 

(37) Raising information transparency, enhancing social supervision. 

The system whereby information on examinations and enrollment is released shall be tightened up to guarantee the transparency of such information, ensure entrance examinees’ rights and interests, and intensify government and public supervision. The principles and methods for allocating college enrollment quotas, the regulations, policies and procedures for college enrollment and its results, and higher educational institutions’ independent enrollment methods, procedures and results shall be publicized. Examination and enrollment legislation shall be intensified, and college enrollment procedures standardized. The admission policy of extra points must be cleaned up and regulated. Security responsibilities for examinations shall be reinforced, and the introduction of an integrity system stepped up. Fraud in examinations and enrollment shall be resolutely prevented and cracked down upon. 

Chapter 13: Building a Modern School System

(38) Further separating government functions from school management and detaching school governance from school operation. 

It is imperative to take the reality of the nation and the requirements of the times into consideration to build a modern school system in which schools are run according to law, under autonomous governance and democratic supervision, and with public participation, and to foster a new relationship between government, schools and society. In line with state requirements on administrative institutional reform, we shall define the government’s administrative power and responsibilities, and define the rights and responsibilities of different kinds of schools. We shall explore different types of school management system and mode, to suit different kinds of education and talent cultivation and to avoid resemblance of schools. Management of school goals and performance shall be put under an effective framework. A sound school-affair publicizing system shall be set up to put schools under the supervision of faculty, students and the public. With the reform of classification of public institutions, we will explore management mechanisms and policies that are suited to conditions of schools and end the tendency of bureaucracy. The practice of bestowing administrative rank on schools, and the ways in which schools are run like government appendages should be phased out.

(39) Extending school decision-making power.

The government and its departments should be more committed to serving schools, improve their management and supervision, reduce and standardize administrative approval items for schools, and protect the full exercise of autonomy and responsibilities concerned in schools according to the law. Higher educational institutions shall follow state legislation and overall policies to make their own decisions on teaching and learning activities, scientific research, technological development and social service. They shall also have the final say on establishing and adjusting disciplines, on drafting and implementing development plans, on setting up internal teaching, research and governance bodies, and on internal income distribution, personnel management and appointment, school property and funding. Senior middle schools and secondary vocational schools shall have the decision-making power in school running, talent cultivation, resource allocation, personnel management, cooperation in running school, and community service. 

(40) Introducing a modern college system with Chinese characteristics

School governance shall be restructured. Public higher educational institutions shall uphold and improve a governance system that holds the president responsible under Party committee leadership. Rules of procedure and the decision-making procedure shall be strengthened, and the power of the Party committee and the president allotted according to law. Procedures for electing and appointing college presidents shall be streamlined. Full scope shall be given to the role of the academic commission in disciplines, academic evaluation and development. Feasible ways shall be explored to facilitate the academic research of professors and give them a full play in teaching, research and school governance. The building of congresses of teachers, staff and students’ congresses shall be intensified, and the role of mass organizations brought into full play. 

Enhancing institution construction. All kinds of higher educational institutions should draft their constitutions according to law, act on such constitutions in governance and operation, respect academic freedom and furnish a friendly and relaxed academic environment, and carry out systems for appointment, teaching and work post management in an all-round way. They should establish scientifically assessment frameworks and incentive mechanisms. 

Broadening collaboration with society. Explorations shall be made for the establishment of college councils or boards of directors. Mechanisms with long-term efficacy shall be introduced to intensify public support for and supervision over school development. Feasible patterns shall be experimented with for close collaboration with industries and enterprises in school development; and higher educational institutions, research institutes and social organizations shall improve the way their resources are shared. Effective coordinating and cooperative mechanisms shall be formulated so that higher educational institutions can better serve economic growth and social progress. College logistics outsourcing shall be promoted.

Promoting professional evaluation. Professional institutions and intermediary agencies shall be encouraged to evaluate the level and quality of college disciplines, faculties and courses. To meet that end, a scientific and standard evaluation system shall be installed. Ways and means for cooperation with the first class international education assessment agencies and for establishing a college evaluation approaches with Chinese characteristics shall be explored. An annual report release system on college quality shall be instituted.

(41) Improving primary and middle school management. 

It is necessary to improve the system that holds the principals accountable in management of primary and middle schools and vocational schools. The competence requirements for school principals and the way they are appointed shall be improved as well. School councils and other governance apparatuses shall be installed, and congresses of teachers, staff and workers improved. Decision-making mechanisms shall be ameliorated on a scientific and democratic footing. Secondary vocational schools shall have more say on curricular arrangements. Parents’ associations shall be established in primary and middle schools. Communities and professionals shall be invited to participate in school governance and supervision. The role of enterprises in the development of secondary vocational schools shall be brought into play. Mechanisms shall be established for cooperation between secondary vocational schools and industries and enterprises. 

Chapter 14: Reform on School-Running System

(42) Stepping up reform of schools’ operational systems. 

We will uphold the principle that education is for public good. A vigorous system shall be put in place whereby schools provide diverse forms of schooling and are run by multiple entities under government guidance and with public participation; and a pattern shall be brought about in which the government takes the lead in running schools while public and nongovernmental schools grow simultaneously. We will give full play to the society's initiative in participating in education, further stimulate the vitality of education, and meet the multi-layer and diverse educational needs of the public.

The ongoing reform of the public school system shall be deepened, and industries, enterprises and institutions shall be encouraged to join in the operation of public schools, support development of weak schools, expand excellent education resources, invigorate school-running efforts and raise school-running efficiency. Localities shall proceed from the reality to conduct experiments of school running cooperation between public schools and delegated management of schools, in a bid to explore ways of school running and to boost performances of schools.

The way noncompulsory education is offered shall be improved. The government should conduct incentive policies, advocate fair competition and guide nongovernmental funds to education through diverse channels. 

(43) Strong support for nongovernmental education. 

Non-government funded education is a prominent source of growth for education and a staunch force behind education reform. Governments at all levels should regard developing nongovernmental education as a major task, encourage investment and donation in such schools, and urge private businesses to run schools independently or jointly. Management and operation mechanism of independent colleges shall be improved. The school-running system and talent-cultivation mechanisms shall be renovated, and teaching quality improved to bring forth top-notch nongovernmental schools with distinct features. 

Nongovernmental schools and their students and teachers shall be granted with the same legal status as their public counterparts, and nongovernmental schools’ decision-making power guaranteed. Discriminatory policies against nongovernmental schools shall be sorted out and rectified. The preferential policies to drive nongovernmental education development shall be formulated and improved. Qualified nongovernmental higher educational institutions shall be delegated, according to prescribed procedures, with the right to run teaching programs that grant Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degrees. A workable social insurance system for teachers in nongovernmental schools shall be adopted and improved.

Policies concerning fiscal support for nongovernmental schools shall be improved. The government shall entrust nongovernmental schools with education and training tasks, and allocate education funds accordingly. Wherever possible, governments at and above the county level shall set up special funds in aid of nongovernmental schools. The state shall cite and award organizations, schools and individuals for their meritorious contribution to nongovernmental education. 

(44) Managing nongovernmental schools according to law. 

Departments of education shall set up ad hoc organs to provide overall coordination, planning and administration for nongovernmental education. We actively explore classification management for profit-making and nonprofit nongovernmental schools. We will standardize legal person registration of nongovernmental schools. The governance structure for nongovernmental schools as corporate bodies shall be straightened out. School councils or boards of directors shall be established in these schools according to law to guarantee that their principals can exercise their legal power. A supervisory system shall be promoted step by step. Party organizations should play an active role in their nongovernmental schools, and the system of supervisory commissioners for such schools improved. The right of teachers, staff and workers to participate in democratic governance and supervision over nongovernmental schools shall be implemented. Legal mechanisms for the changes and withdrawals of nongovernmental schools shall be installed. Nongovernmental schools’ property rights shall be well defined. Financial, accounting and asset management systems shall be established in nongovernmental schools according to law. No organizations or individuals are allowed to encroach upon school assets, withdraw school funds surreptitiously or embezzle school outlay. Precaution mechanisms against school-running risks and an information disclosure system shall be furnished for nongovernmental schools. Public participation in governing and supervision of these schools shall be expanded, and evaluation of their performance tightened up. 

Chapter 15: Reform of Education Administration System

(45) Improving the education administration system with strong coordination and well-defined rights, responsibilities.

We will focus on the transformation of government functions and decentralization, deepen the reform in education administration system, and improve public education services. The responsibilities of governments at all levels shall be well defined, and code of practice provided for school running. The effort to separate government administration, school operation and evaluation shall be stepped up, so that a well-planned, well-coordinated administrative system of education shall come to stay, in which government administration is detached from schools’ day-to-day affairs, and rights and responsibilities are clarified. The central government shall bring education under unified leadership and administration, formulate developmental plans, principles, policies and basic benchmarks, optimize the layout of disciplines, types and structures and geographical distribution, make overall arrangements for experimental education reform, and provide unified planning and coordination for regional education development. Local governments shall take charge of implementing state principles and policies, conducting pilot programs of education reform; they are also responsible for education reform, development and stability in areas under their respective jurisdiction. 

(46) Stepping up overall planning for education under provincial administration. 

Provincial governments’ overall planning and coordination of all kinds of education at all levels under their jurisdiction shall be further extended. They shall coordinate administration over compulsory education, achieve a balanced development of urban and rural compulsory education, and implement fiscal responsibilities for compulsory education according to law. Provincial governments shall also promote rational geographical distribution of regular senior middle schools and secondary vocational schools, speed up progress in universalizing senior middle school education, and provide more support for impoverished areas to develop senior middle school education; promote coordinated growth of vocational education and the public sharing of resources, and support industries and enterprise in developing vocational education; improve the system whereby provincial governments play the leading role in higher education administration, regulate the geographical distribution of higher educational institutions and set up or readjust the layout of disciplines and faculties, and improve higher education’s governance and school-running proficiency. Provincial governments shall examine and endorse the establishment of higher educational institutions that offer courses leading to a junior college diploma, and endorse the establishment of higher educational institutions under their jurisdiction to offer baccalaureate degrees; in the case of higher educational institutions and institutions designated to grant master’s degrees on their students, the provincial governments shall specify the faculties or departments where such degrees should be conferred. The fiscal transfer payment systems at and below the provincial level shall be improved, and the financial support for less developed regions stepped up. Provincial governments shall set appropriate executive benchmarks to define the operational conditions and faculty sizes for schools at all levels and of all varieties in accordance with state-mandated standards and local conditions; and promote comprehensive education reform under an overall plan, facilitate regional collaboration in education, and upgrade education’s service for socioeconomic development. The governments of cities, prefectures and counties shall be supported and urged to honor their responsibilities and do a good job in running various types of education under their jurisdiction. 

(47) Changing government functions on education.

Governments at all levels should work in a down-to-earth way to honor such duties as overall planning, policy guidance, supervision and governance, and provision of public education service, establish a sound public education service framework, gradually equalize basic public service of education, and safeguard justice and maintain order in education. They should change their monotonous mode of direct administration over schools, make comprehensive use of legislation, funding, planning, information service, policy guidance, and necessary administrative measures, and minimize unnecessary administrative intervention. 

Consolidating the scientific basis for government policy decisions and enhancing the effectiveness of administration, decision-making procedures should be standardized, open discussions held, and people’s opinions thoroughly canvassed, before major education policies are announced. An education consultancy commission should be established to provide advice and support for education reform and development as well as enhance the scientific backing for major policy decisions on education. Basic state standards for education should be established and improved. A national educational quality monitoring and evaluation organization should be established to release monitoring and evaluation reports at regular intervals. Supervision over education should be tightened up, and inquiry and accountability mechanisms improved. 

Cultivating the professional organizations for education service. The frameworks concerning the entry, sponsorship, supervision, and self-discipline of intermediary agencies for education shall be straightened out. Full scope shall be given to the roles of trade associations, specialized societies, foundations and other social organizations in public governance of education.

Chapter 16: Further Opening China’s Education 

(48) Promoting international exchanges and cooperation

It is essential to reform and develop education by opening it to the outside world, carrying out education exchanges and collaboration at multiple levels and in a broad scope, and raising education’s internationalization level. Advanced concepts and experience in education in the world shall be assimilated to boost education reform and development at home, and to enhance the nation’s global position, influence and competitiveness in the field of education. To meet the requirement of opening up the Chinese economy and society to the world, large numbers of talents shall be cultivated that are imbued with global vision, well-versed in international rules, and capable of participating in international affairs and competition. 

(49) Introducing quality education resources abroad. 

It is necessary to seek the cooperation of renowned schools, education institutions, research institutes and companies outside this nation to establish education, teaching, training and research organizations or undertake such projects. Schools at all levels and of all varieties should be encouraged to engage in diverse forms of international exchanges and cooperation, and a good job should be done in running demonstrative joint schools or joint projects in cooperation with foreign partners. Multiple approaches to utilizing quality education resources from abroad shall be searched for. 

Efforts should be made to attract more world-class experts and scholars to teaching, research and managerial jobs in China, and invite high-level professionals and academic teams from overseas in a planned way. Quality textbooks shall be imported, and the percentage of foreign teachers in college faculty increased. More outstanding Chinese students shall be attracted to serve the nation after they have finished their studies in other countries and regions. 

(50) Upgrading exchanges and cooperation. 

China should facilitate the mutual recognition of academic credentials and degrees between its colleges and academic institutions from more countries and regions. More support shall be given to exchanges of students and teachers, mutual recognition of academic credits, and mutual or joint conferment of academic degrees between Chinese and foreign colleges. Collaboration between Chinese colleges and their counterparts abroad shall be stepped up, platforms for collaborative teaching and research projects set up, and collaborative high-level researches in basic or high technology promoted. Exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign primary and middle schools and vocational schools shall be boosted. Education aimed at enhancing international understanding shall be stepped up to promote level of cross-cultural communication and to help students better understand different countries and cultures. 

High-quality Chinese educational institutions shall be encouraged to run branches overseas, undertake international exchanges, cooperation and education service extensively. Efforts should be made to support the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language in other countries, and elevate the education quality of Confucius Institutes. International aid to education shall be boosted, so as to cultivate and train professionals for other developing countries. A framework shall be established to make Chinese college graduates’ overseas volunteer service available in more fields and through more channels. 

The mechanism by which government-funded students are sent to study abroad shall be renovated and improved, and outstanding Chinese students heading for studies in elite universities and research institutes overseas should be selected through fair and open competition. Policy guidance shall be intensified for students studying abroad on their own expenses, while financial aid and rewards for those who excel shall be increased. The policy of “supporting students to study abroad, encouraging them to return upon finishing their studies, and they are free to return or leave” shall be upheld, and the services catering for those studying abroad shall be improved. 

More international students shall be admitted for studies in this country. Chinese government scholarships shall be increased, with financial assistance offered mainly to students from other developing countries, and the composition of students coming to this country for studies shall be optimized. Foundation courses shall be given to international students before they start college education in China; more disciplines shall be taught in foreign languages in Chinese colleges; and education quality for those studying in China shall be improved. 

Cooperation with UNESCO and other international organizations shall be intensified. This nation will take a more active part in bilateral, multilateral, regional and global collaboration in education. China shall also actively participate and promote the study and formulation of education policies, rules, regulations and standards of international organizations. Platforms shall be established for high-level international exchanges, cooperation, and policy dialogs on education; and global exchanges and cooperation shall be stepped up in education research and innovation.  

Education exchanges and cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan shall be stepped up. Extending exchange content and innovating modes of cooperation, the common educational development should be promoted.

Section IV: Guaranteeing Measures

Chapter 17: Strengthening Building of the Teachers’ Contingent

(51) Building a vast contingent of quality teachers.

Teachers are the very basis of long-term education cause. Good teachers are critical for high-quality education. It is therefore essential to improve the status of teachers, safeguard their rights and interests, raise their salaries and benefits, and turn teaching into a respected occupation. It is also important to be strict with teachers’ credentials, enhance virtue building among them, and strive to establish a well-structured and dynamic contingent of professional teachers of high caliber and imbued with moral integrity and teaching expertise. 

(52) Promoting professional ethics among teachers. 

Education of teachers in career goals and work ethics shall be stepped up with a view to enhancing their senses of responsibility and mission for imparting knowledge to students and educating them. Teachers shall be urged to care for their students, be strict with and diligent in academic pursuits, stay impervious to fame and gain, to value self-respect and self-discipline, impact students with personal charisma and scholastic excellence, and provide guidance to ensure students grow in a healthy manner . Moral conduct shall become the foremost factor in testing, appointing, employing and evaluating teachers. A complete package of steps shall be adopted, and mechanisms with long-term effects established, to foster academic work ethics and atmosphere, overcome impetuosity in scholarship, and investigate and punish any academic misconduct. 

(53) Raising teachers’ professional efficiency. 

The system shall be improved and good plans drawn up for teachers’ cultivation and training. The composition of teachers shall be optimized, and their academic and pedagogical proficiency boosted. Key teachers, those teachers who are also engineers, academic leaders and school principals shall be cultivated through advanced studies and training, academic exchanges and financial assistance on projects. Renowned teachers and mentors in various academic disciplines shall be brought to the fore. 

Capacity building among primary and middle school teachers shall be intensified, with emphasis on rural teachers. The mechanisms with which to replenish the ranks of rural teachers shall be innovated. The frameworks and policies shall be adopted better to attract more outstanding professionals to teach in schools. Free education for normal university students shall be advanced. A plan to set up special teaching posts shall be implemented more forcefully to attract teachers to rural schools offering compulsory education. Workable compensation mechanisms shall be endorsed to encourage college graduates to teach in remote areas. The teachers’ training system shall be improved, with funding pledged in government budgets. All teachers shall undergo training every five years. The bilingual teachers training must be strengthened in minority-inhabited areas. The training of school principals shall be stepped up, and due attention paid to drilling instructors and class advisors. Reform of teachers’ education shall be deepened to construct an open and flexible educational system in which normal universities play the most important role, comprehensive universities can get involved. The mode of education shall be renovated, fieldwork and other practical activities intensified, training in teachers’ work ethics and instruction proficiency stepped up, and the overall training quality promoted. 

The ranks of vocational school and college teachers shall be increased, with redoubled efforts centered on boosting the number of those holding both teacher and engineer certificates. Vocational school and college teachers shall receive more intensive training. Colleges and large and medium-sized enterprises shall be urged to pool their efforts to build teacher-engineer training centers. A workable framework shall be set up for teachers to practice regularly in enterprises as engineers; personnel red tape shall be streamlined so that experienced engineers and technicians and skilled workers can be employed as full-time or guest teachers in vocational schools and colleges; and the percentage of teachers that also hold technical or vocational credentials shall be increased. 

It is imperative to put together a contingent of high-caliber college teachers, with major effort devoted to boosting the numbers of middle-aged and young teachers and innovative teams. College/university teachers’ proficiency in teaching, innovative research and social service shall be improved intensively. Interdisciplinary and trans-organizational collaboration shall be stepped up to bring about high-level teams of innovative teachers and researchers. Personnel and compensation management shall be overhauled so that teachers can be dedicated to teaching and research wholeheartedly, and outstanding middle-aged and young teachers can come to the fore. Programs such as those designed to bring in high-level talents from overseas, the Cheung Kong Scholarship Awards and the National Award for Outstanding Young Scientists shall be promoted in colleges to acquire academic leaders with global influence. 

(54) Heightening teachers’ social status, salaries, benefits. 

The working, learning and living conditions for teachers shall be bettered constantly as part of the endeavor to draw outstanding talents to teach in school and make teaching a lifelong commitment. Legislation shall be enacted to guarantee that the average salary for teachers is higher – at least not lower – than that for civil servants and rises steadily. Performance-based salaries shall be instituted for teachers. Policies on wages and accreditation of academic and administrative titles shall be tipped in favor of teachers working permanently under harsh conditions in remote and border areas. The stipends for these teachers shall be increased. The spare dormitories reserved for rural school teachers must be constructed. A preferential housing policy for teachers shall be researched and drafted. The working and living conditions of teachers shall be improved, the physical and mental health of them must be cared. Medical and retirement insurances and other social security policies for teachers shall be implemented and improved. The state shall award teachers who have worked for long time or made distinguished contributions in rural areas. 

(55) Streamlining administration over teachers. 

The teachers’ permit system shall be revamped and strictly carried out. The state shall set credential standards for the recruitment of teachers, update requirements for formal schooling records and moral conduct. Primary and middles school teachers’ credentials shall be registered at regular intervals, and unified examination and certification of such credentials shall be organized by education administrative departments at the provincial level. County-level education administrative departments take charge of the recruitment, employment, accreditation, training and assessment of primary and middle school teachers in accordance with regulations. 

Standards shall be gradually unified for the size of the teaching faculty of primary and middle schools in both urban and rural areas, with preferential standards adopted for schools in remote and border areas. Standards shall also be furnished for the size of college faculty and kindergarten payrolls. The sequences of academic titles for teachers in primary and middle schools and vocational schools shall be unified, and senior academic titles and teaching posts set up in these schools. Administration over school work posts shall be tightened up, employment procedures renovated, employer activities regulated, and workable incentive mechanisms adopted to ensure teachers sufficient incentive to work and innovate. Mechanisms for the rotation of compulsory education school teachers and principals shall be improved. Urban primary and middle school teachers should, in principle, have worked for at least one year in rural schools or schools with disadvantaged teaching facilities and faculty before they can apply for senior titles and positions. Management of teachers shall be tightened up, and sound mechanisms introduced concerning the removal of teachers. Strict credential requirements shall be prescribed and a rank structure introduced for school principals; the effort to fill school principals’ posts with professional educators shall be promoted in an effort to promote professionalism among them and improve their school-governance proficiency. 

Favorable conditions should be provided to encourage teachers and school principals to innovate in practice, bring new ideas into the philosophy, patterns and methodology of education, and cultivate distinctive teaching and school-running styles. A contingent of educators shall be brought to the fore. Schools should be put into the hands of educators. The meritorious deeds of model teachers shall be commended and publicized effectively, and honorary titles conferred on teachers and education workers who have made outstanding contributions. 

Chapter 18: Ensuring Education Input

(56) Increasing education investment. 

Education funding is a basic and strategic investment in support of long-term national development, a material foundation for the cause of education, and a major function of state budget. The system, in which education fund is raised from various sectors with government input as the main source, shall be strengthened, and the overall investment in education shall be increased by a big margin. 

Governments at all levels shall optimize the structure of fiscal expenditures, coordinate various revenues, and give priority to education in expenditure. The Education Law and related legislation shall be enforced strictly to ensure that fiscal budget and its excess revenue are formed and distributed in a way to ensure the stipulated funding growth requirement for education, and that the growth rate of fiscal appropriation on education is markedly higher than that of the regular fiscal revenue, and that the average per-student education expense, public spending, and teachers’ salaries increase steadily. An education surtax accounting for 3% of the value-added tax, business tax and consumption tax shall be levied in full and spent specifically on educational undertakings. The portion of fiscal (public) expenditure on education in GDP shall be raised to 4% by 2012. 

Nongovernmental investment is a major part of education investment. The school-running enthusiasm of all walks of life shall be mobilized, and channels shall be expanded to make more social fund infuse into education. Favorable financial, tax, monetary and land-use policies shall be implemented to channel nongovernmental donations and investment into schools. Cost-sharing mechanisms for noncompulsory education shall be improved, and tuition standards shall be readjusted in light of economic development conditions, training cost and bearing capacity of people. Stimulus mechanisms for donations to education shall be improved, including the regulations to ensure that such donations to public welfare are deducted from donors’ pre-tax income. 

(57) Improving distribution mechanism 

The responsibilities of governments at all levels to offer public education services shall be further defined, and the education fund distribution mechanism shall be improved at all levels, so as to ensure stable sources for school running and its growth. In light of basic school-running requirements and basic education and teaching needs, the state shall formulate standards for per-student outlay and per-student fiscal appropriation. 

Compulsory education shall be guaranteed by fiscal expenditure, and brought under the responsibility of both the State Council and local governments at various levels. With regard to the funding for compulsory education in rural areas, a guaranteeing mechanism shall be further improved to share the fiscal load between central and local financial authorities at a certain ratio on an item basis, and improve the guarantee level. The debts incurred on rural compulsory education schools shall be resolved as soon as possible. 

Noncompulsory education shall be mainly funded by government. Learners shall also bear part of the cost, with sponsors from other sources. Preschool education shall be financed by both government and nongovernmental sponsors, with families sharing part of the burden. Fiscal input for senior middle school education shall be supplemented with funds raised from diverse channels. Funding for secondary vocational education shall be raised from governments, industries, enterprises and nongovernmental quarters. Higher education funding shall be covered mainly by sponsors, with a reasonable portion of the costs borne by students, and colleges shall raise funds through diverse channels, such as foundations and donations. 

More financial input shall be granted to education in rural areas, impoverished remote and border regions, and ethnic autonomous areas. The central financial department shall increase transfer payments in support of education development in less developed regions and ethnic autonomous areas while strengthening efforts in key areas and addressing protruding problems in this endeavor. 

The national financial aid policy shall be made to work more effectively. Steps shall be taken to support preschool education for children from rural families with financial difficulties and from urban families on basic living allowance. The living allowance standards for compulsory education boarding school students from hard-up rural families shall be raised. The nutrition level of primary and middle school students shall be improved. A national financial system shall be established to assist senior middle school students from families with financial troubles. The package of national policies on financial aid to regular college and vocational school students with financial difficulties shall be solidified. The student loan system shall be improved, and loans in aid of students shall be promoted in their hometown. Postgraduate education fee/tuition system should be established and improved. A sound financial support policy shall be formulated for postgraduate students, and scholarships shall be available for postgraduate students. A dynamic mechanism shall be established in which state scholarships can be readjusted in accordance with national economic development and financial capacities. 

(58) Tightening up fund management. 

Finance should be managed according to law and financial and economic disciplines should be enforced strictly. Mechanisms shall be set up to facilitate scientific and meticulous fiscal management. State budgets shall be compiled on a scientific footing, and budgetary execution efficiency shall be raised. A consultancy commission for higher education funding shall be established to enhance rationality of fund distribution. School financial and accounting systems shall be tightened up, and internal audit and control of fund use shall be strengthened. Improving the regulatory functions of the education funding, chief accountants shall be appointed in colleges on a trial basis to raise the professional level in fund use and asset management. The government shall appoint chief accountants to public colleges. Surveillance over spending shall be stepped up, and major construction projects shall be subject to stringent overall-process audit, so as to ensure that such funds are utilized in standardized, safe and effective ways. A basic data bank for education outlays shall be established and improved steadily to raise the informatization level of fund management. Financial risk of schools must be prevented. A mechanism for evaluating funding efficiency shall be set up, and the use of funds on major projects shall be put under intensified evaluation and examination. Management of state assets in schools shall be tightened up, and the allocation, use and disposal of such assets shall be put on a sound basis, so as to prevent losses and raise the fund use utility. 

Fees collected by schools shall be better managed; and schools’ fee-collecting behavior and deployment of such fees shall be standardized. It is imperative to be industrious and thrifty in running schools, ban extravagance and waste, and build conservation-minded schools. 

Chapter 19: Accelerating Informatization in Education

(59) Speeding up information infrastructure construction 

Attention shall be given to the revolutionary impact of information technology on education development. Education informatization should be put into the state strategy for comprehensive informatization, and education information networks should be arranged in advance. By 2020, all schools in urban and rural areas shall be covered by a nationwide online educational service network, so as to promote modernization of teaching contents, pedagogy and methodology. Quality resources and advanced technology shall be put into full use, operational mechanisms and management modes shall be renovated, and available resources shall be integrated, so that a sophisticated, efficient and practical online education infrastructure can be built. Computer terminals shall be popularized, the building of e-campuses accelerated, and accesses to the Internet broadened. Major efforts shall be given to build information infrastructure in rural schools so that the gap of digitalization between cities and countryside can be bridged. The China Education and Research Network and the China Education Satellite Broad Band Transmission Net shall be upgraded. Basic standards for education informatization shall be compiled to promote the connection between information systems. 

(60) Developing and applying more quality education resources. 

It is essential to intensify development of online teaching resource system, introduce quality international online teaching resources, develop an online learning curriculum, construct e-libraries and virtual laboratories, build open and flexible public service platform on education resources, promote the popularization and public sharing of quality education resources, and renovate the mode of e-education to push high-quality, high-level distance education which will grant diploma upon student’s graduation. Continued efforts shall be made to promote distance education in rural primary and middle schools, so that quality education resources can be enjoyed by teachers and students in rural, border and remote areas.  

Information technology shall be put into intensive use, teachers’ proficiency in applying such technology raised, their pedagogic approaches updated, and their teaching results bettered. Students shall be encouraged to make use of information technology as a mean for study and become more capable of analyzing and solving problems. The application of information technology shall be popularized among the entire population at a higher speed. 

(61) Building state education information management system

Requirements shall be stipulated for basic school data management to hasten up the informatization and standardization of school running. Informatization of government administration over education shall be promoted, so as to accumulate basic data, grasp the overall situation, intensify dynamic monitoring, and raise administrative efficiency. Education administrative resources of all kinds and at all levels shall be integrated, and a state public education administrative service platform shall be built to provide scientific reference for overall policy decisions and offer general education information for the public, and raise the modernization level of education administration steadily. 

Chapter 20: Promoting Rule of Law in Education

(62) Improving educational legislations 

The building of the legal system pertinent to education shall be expedited in compliance with the fundamental strategic requirement to run the country according to law, so that a relatively complete system of socialist education legislations with Chinese characteristics can come to stay. Based on the needs of socioeconomic development and education reform, the Education Law, the Vocational Education Law, the Higher Education Law, the Procedural Regulations on Academic Degrees, the Teachers’ Law and the Law for Promotion of Nongovernmental Education will be amended. Legislations on examinations, schools, lifelong learning, preschool education and family education will be enacted. Administrative regulations on education shall be enhanced. Local governments shall proceed from respective circumstances to draft local rules and regulations to boost local education development. 

(63) Boosting all-round administration by law

Governments at all levels shall fulfill their duties on education according to the requirements for building themselves into governments that administrate by law. Ways and means shall be explored for reform on educational administrative enforcement. An accountability system for educational administrative enforcement shall be installed, and no time shall be lost to bring those to justice who have violated education laws and rules, encroached upon the rights and interests of educatees, and disrupted order in education. The rights and interests of schools, students, teachers, school principals and school holders shall be safeguarded according to law. The system for the public release of education information shall be improved and citizens’ rights to know, participate and supervise guaranteed. 

(64) Vigorously advance on-campus rule of law. 

Schools shall work out their own constitutions, rules and regulations in compliance with state laws, which reflect its own characteristics, govern schools strictly according to laws, and abide by law in exercising their teaching and governance duties. Teachers’ rights shall be respected, and administration over them tightened up. Students’ right to education should be ensured, and the awards and penalties to be meted out on students should be fair and just. The education relief system shall be improved in compliance with the rule of law.

Launch publicity campaigns to promote legal knowledge among public. Teachers and students shall be urged to enhance their law awareness and their consciousness of citizenship, and to be familiar with law and abide by it. They should be educated to observe public order, and set a good example in abiding by law and observing discipline. 

(65) Enhancing superintendence, supervision and accountability

Education superintendent regulations shall be drafted, and the education superintendent system shall be further upgraded. Relatively independent education superintendent institutions shall be established so that education superintendents can exercise their power independently. The national school inspection system shall be made to work more effectively, and a contingent of professional school inspectors shall be established. Equal importance shall be attached to both administrative supervision and academic inspection, and equal emphasis given to both supervision and guidance. Supervision and inspection shall be stepped up over compulsory education as a whole, and carried out in preschool and senior middle school education. Supervision and inspection of the government in enforcing education legislation and implementing state education policies shall be intensified. Frameworks shall be instituted so that the findings of supervision and inspection as well as deadlines set for rectifying the problems can be publicized.. 

The accountability system shall be implemented stringently. Schools should willingly accept and cooperate with legislatures at all levels in supervision and inspection of educational law enforcement, and with the personnel sent by law-enforcement agencies on supervision visits. Mechanisms at all levels shall be set up for effective supervision. Auditing and other kinds of special-purpose supervision shall be monitored more closely. Public supervision shall also be intensified.

Chapter 21: Major Projects and Pilot Reform Programs

(66) Major projects to be organized and undertaken 

Centering on the strategic goals for education reform and development, with an aim to promote equal access to education, raise education quality and boost the capacity for sustainable development, with emphasis on eliminating weak points and strengthening key areas of endeavor and initiating effective mechanisms, a series of major projects shall be organized and undertaken during the period of 2010-2020. 

•	Constructing standard compulsory education schools. The mechanisms for guaranteeing funding for compulsory education in urban and rural areas shall be improved on the basis of scientific planning, coordinated management and appropriate geographical distribution. To ensure safety of primary and middle school buildings, construction efforts shall focus on refurbishing dilapidated buildings and reinforcing the existing ones for anti-earthquake purposes, and on ensuring all school buildings in urban and rural areas be qualified for safety standards. Substandard primary and junior middle schools shall be renovated, so that their teachers, teaching appratus and equipment, books and sports venues for compulsory education could gradually meet government standards. The dormitories of rural boarding schools in major provinces that export migrant workers or in impoverished areas shall be renovated or expanded; this is to improve the lodging conditions for village school children, those left behind by parents working elsewhere in particular, and basically to satisfy their boarding needs. 

•	Training qualified teachers for compulsory education. The plan to increase the number of special teaching positions in rural compulsory education schools shall continue to attract college graduates to work in schools in rural areas. The recruit of teachers for short-handed disciplines in rural primary and middle schools shall be enhanced substantially, with the focus on training and supplementing teachers urgently needed in remote areas and revolutionary base areas. Every teacher in compulsory education shall be given more trainings while research and study programs should be provided for school principals. Primary school teachers with a degree below a junior college shall receive more education to upgrade their diploma so that gradually all primary school teachers could at least attain a junior college degree.  

•	Promoting preschool education in rural areas. Support should be provided to existing kindergartens in townships, towns and villages. Impoverished areas in central and western regions shall gain the support they need to make full use of spare school buildings in primary and middle schools and social resources to renovate or expand old kindergartens, or to build new ones in townships, towns and villages. Training shall be offered to rural kindergarten principals and core teachers.  

•	Enhancing vocational education’s basic capacities. Support shall be given to the construction of fieldwork bases to beef up vocational education’s practical teaching capacities. A large amount of teachers shall be trained to earn double certificates as teacher-engineers, and many seasoned technicians and engineers shall be employed as full-time or part-time teachers in vocational schools. Assistance shall be available to turn some secondary vocational schools into model schools for vocational education reform, or into schools that excel in particular fields. Support shall be provided to the construction of exemplary vocational colleges. Support a cluster of exemplary vocational education groups to promote public sharing of quality resources.  

•	Raising higher education quality. Initiate a program to improve higher education in central and west China, and to enhance local colleges’ advantageous disciplines and faculty. A mechanism of partner assistance between western and their eastern counterparts on a one-on-one basis should be implemented. Support projects include the building of production-study-research college bases, an experimental program for training top students in basic sciences and project for cultivating excellent engineers and outstanding medical professionals. Project 985 shall be continued along with the construction of a platform for innovation in advantageous disciplines. Project 211 shall also be continued, and initiate a new program on distinguished key disciplines. Projects that are already under way shall move on, including a project for improving and reforming undergraduate education, a plan to innovate graduate education, a program for improving philosophy and social sciences education in colleges, and a scheme for cultivating high-caliber innovative talents in colleges.  

•	Developing education for ethnic minorities. What has been achieved in promoting nine-year compulsory education in ethnic areas shall be consolidated. Border counties and poverty-stricken counties in ethnic autonomous areas shall be aided to build standard compulsory education schools. Major assistance shall be provided to cultivate teachers for border  areas inhabited by ethnic groups. Enhance training of bilingual teachers in the primary and middle schools, and kindergartens in ethnic autonomous areas shall be further educated and trained. Development of senior middle school education shall be accelerated in ethnic areas, and a program shall come under way to run secondary vocational classes for ethnic minority peoples in schools away from these areas. Counties where education is underdeveloped shall be aided to renovate, expand or build senior middle schools and secondary vocational schools. The development of colleges/universities for ethnic groups shall be supported.  

•	Developing special education. Special education schools shall be refurbished or expanded and new ones built, so that every prefecture-level city or county with a relatively large number of disabled children and a population of more than 300,000 shall at least have one special education school. All the existing special education schools will be replenished with necessary teaching, living and rehabilitation training facilities as part of an effort to improve their education conditions. Professional training shall be provided to improve the teaching credentials of teachers in special education.  

•	Providing financial aid for students from low-income families. A plan shall be made to improve the dietary nutrition of rural primary school students in ethnic autonomous areas and impoverished areas. Secondary vocational students, who study in agriculture-related majors or from families with financial difficulties, will be exempted their tuition fees. Senior middle school students and graduate students shall be covered by a state grant-in-aid framework.  

•	Developing national educational informatization. The number of computers for per hundred students in primary and secondary schools shall be increased, and multimedia distance-learning facilities shall become available in classes of primary and middle schools in rural areas. A national database of e-teaching resources and a public service platform that covers all manner and all levels of education shall be completed. National and provincial basic education databases shall take shape along with installations for monitoring and analyzing education quality, student flow, resource allocation, and employment of graduates.  

•	International education exchanges and cooperation. Assistance shall be granted to set up a cluster of exemplary Sino-foreign cooperative education institutions, build joint laboratories and research centers in colleges by international cooperation, introduce a large number of high-level professionals from overseas countries and regions, and dispatch college presidents and faculty members, and primary and middle school principals and backbone teachers for advanced studies or training in overseas institutions. More students shall be sent to study abroad on government funding. A plan shall come under way to bring more international students to China. More talents capable of foreign languages should be cultivated. Support shall be granted for the construction of overseas Confucius Institutes. 

(67) Pilot reform to be undertaken. 

To set up a working office in charge of national education reform to study, arrange and guide the reform. Following the principle of acting on an overall plan, getting things done one step at a time, running pilot projects first, and timely adjustment, some pilot localities and schools shall be selected to undertake major reform programs.  

•	Pushing forward pilot reform of quality-oriented education. An effective mechanism shall be set up to lessen schoolwork burdens for primary and middle school students and improve curricula and textbooks for basic education. Senior middle schools shall experiment with diverse operational modes and develop special courses. Such education approaches as a flexible schooling shall be explored, and an educational quality monitoring and evaluating system shall be perfected and the findings of the evaluation should be publicized at regular intervals.  

•	Pilot reform of balanced development in compulsory education. A mechanism shall be put in place for integrated development of urban and rural compulsory education. Countywide exchanges of teachers and school principals shall be promoted as a systematic pattern. Quotas for enrollment in high quality senior middle schools and secondary vocational schools shall be distributed appropriately among local junior middle schools. Concrete steps shall be taken to tackle the problem of school choosing in compulsory education.

•	Pilot reform of operation modes of vocational education schools. To explore a mechanism for governments, enterprises and professional associations to participate in operating vocational schools, with a focus on promoting overall government coordination, cooperation between schools and enterprises, and collectivel schools running. Pilot programs shall be carried out to run tailor-made training programs for employers. To experiment with work-study integration, flexible schooling, and modular teaching; and to make vocational education better serve agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and groom a new type of farmers.  

•	Pilot reform of building lifelong education framework and mechanisms. Mechanisms shall be furnished to connect regular, vocational and continued education in every region. Lifelong learning networks and service platforms shall be constructed. Nongovernmental teaching resources shall be  developed in a coordinated way. The growth of community education shall be accelerated. A framework shall be brought about for accrediting learning results, and a “bank of credits” shall be set up as well.  

•	Pilot reform of cultivation of first-class innovators. Effective approaches are to be sought after in education at all levels for the cultivation of innovative talents. Colleges are encouraged to run joint programs to foster innovators, and eligible senior middle schools are encouraged to collaborate with colleges and research institutes to experiment and study new modes of fostering innovators and to establish training centers for their cooperation.

•	Pilot reform of the examination and enrollment system. Examinations of the academic levels of students in junior and senior middle school shall be brought to near perfection as well as the way students’ overall quality is evaluated. Unified entrance examination method for entering first-class universities shall be explored. Tangible approaches shall be explored for vocational colleges to hold independent enrollment examinations or register students for enrollment according to academic proficiency testing scores. Workable methods shall be probed for school autonomy on enrollment, enrollment on recommendations, enrollment for designated areas and fields of studies, and enrollment by making exceptions of prescribed rules. Exploration shall be taken to narrow the interregional disparity in college enrollment quota.

•	Pilot reform of modern higher-education-institution system. Study and draft implementation methods of the principal accountability system under the leadership of the Party committee. University/college constitutions shall be drawn up or perfected, and mechanisms explored to give full scope to the positive roles of academic committees, college councils or boards of directors. Systems for appointments, employment and work post management shall be carried out in an all-round way. New employees shall be hired through open procedures, and negotiable wages and other flexible income distribution methods studied. Professional research teams shall be set up in multiple ways, and a managerial personnel staff system promoted. The system to inform the public of school affairs shall be improved.  

•	Deepening pilot reform of establishing and operating schools. Joint public schools, Sino-foreign cooperative schools, and consigned school management shall be experimented. Pilot programs shall be carried out to govern for-profit and nonprofit schools separately. Financial, accounting and asset-management systems shall be set up in private schools, and explorations made to put independent colleges under effective governance and development. 

•	Pilot reform of mechanisms for guaranteeing local government spending on education. A mechanism with long-term effects for raising education funds through multiple channels shall be set up; basic benchmarks prescribed for per student school outlay and per-student fiscal funding at different levels of schools. Effective methods shall be searched for to coordinate the spending of government revenues in support of education. Mechanisms shall be established to facilitate the sharing of education funds on an itemized basis. Incentive policies to boost government spending on education shall be formulated according to law. Preferential salaries and welfare policies shall be granted to teachers working for long years under harsh conditions in rural, remote or border areas. 

•	Pilot comprehensive reform of provincial governments on coordinated education governance.  The mode of separating public schools from the administration of government, and detaching school governance from school operation shall be explored. Distributions of schools, disciplines and specialties shall be arranged in a rational way. Appropriate benchmarks shall be set for school-running conditions, teaching staff sizes, and student enrollment scales. Pilot programs shall be undertaken for comprehensive education reform in cities and counties. The building of education superintendent system shall be stepped up, and mechanisms explored for superintendent institutions to carry out their duties independently. Collaboration between provinces in education reform shall be experimented with, and mechanisms for such collaboration established. 

Chapter 22: Intensifying Organization and Leadership

(68) Shoring up and improving the leaderships over education. 

Party committees and governments at all levels should put themselves under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of “Three Represents”, carry out the scientific outlook on development in depth, regard promoting the priority development of education as their foremost responsibility, adopt leadership systems and decision-making mechanisms, and to study and address major problems occurring in education reform and development and all the hot issues that rivet public concern. It is imperative to list scientific development on education as a major item in examining and evaluating the performance of Party committees and governments at all levels, and set up relevant examination and accountability systems for it. Governments at all levels shall report to their respective people’s congresses or standing committees at regular intervals on their work on education. Members of Party and government leadership at all levels shall be designated to maintain contact with schools. Relevant departments shall honor their commitments to education reform and development, and expand the people's right to know on the cause of education and participation in education. 

Studies of the state’s general education policies and developmental strategies shall be stepped up, and the level of scientific education policymaking shall be elevated. Educational scientific research personnel shall be encouraged and supported to integrate theory with practice, explore in depth the principles on socialist educational development with Chinese characteristics, research and give answers on the major theoretical and practical issues involving educational reform and development, promote the scientific development of education.

(69) Stepping up Party building in the realm of education. 

It is essential to transform Party organizations in the realm of education into learning teams, to study in depth Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, as well as the scientific outlook on development. Party members and cadres shall be further tooled with theories on the developing Marxism, and the masses of teachers and students shall also be educated on the theories. The effort to have the series of theories on building socialism the Chinese way introduced in textbooks and curriculum, lectured in classrooms and instilled into minds shall be promoted in a deep-going way. Education in the core values of socialism shall be deepened.

Party organizations in schools of all kinds and at all levels shall be strengthened. The all-round implementation of the Party’s education principle and the cultivation of qualified socialist builders and successors shall be carried through Party activities in schools from beginning to end. It is imperative to persist in the socialist orientation in running schools, and hold fast to Party leadership over school ideological work. Party organizations should give full scope to their chief leadership role in college reform and development, and play a core political role in primary and middle schools. In nongovernmental schools, Party building should be intensified, and ways and means explored to bring forth the role of Party organizations.

School governing or managerial bodies and the ranks of school leaders should be strengthened, and their ideological and political awareness and school-governance capabilities improved constantly. The personnel placement standards that put a premium on those who have moral integrity and professional competence, with preference to moral integrity, should be applied when selecting and appointing school leaders. The training of school leaders and the exchanges of them between schools should be intensified.

Party organizations’ coverage should be extended forcefully and their work innovated, and they should be imbued with vitality and vigor. It is necessary to get the best out of the role of grass-roots Party organizations in schools as combat bastions, and give full play to the vanguard and exemplary role of Party members. More outstanding young teachers and students should be admitted into the Party, and due importance attached to the work of the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers in schools.

Redoubled efforts should be made to promote a fine Party style of work, clean and honest school governance, and professional ethics in the realm of education. Fine social morals shall be advocated vigorously, such as maintaining close ties with the masses, truth-seeking and pragmatic ways of working, diligence and plain living, as well as criticism and self-criticism. The principle of getting at both the symptoms and root causes of problems and rectifying them comprehensively, and paying equal attention to crackdown and precaution measures that also emphasize prevention shall be upheld to tone up the system for punishing criminal offences and preventing corruption in ways that give expression to the distinct attributes of the education system. A strict accountability system for fostering the fine Party style of work and building a clean and honest government shall be instituted. Innovation in education, supervision, reform and institution building shall be promoted with redoubled efforts. Corruption shall be cracked down upon mercilessly. It is also essential to run education and standardize school management strictly, and actively promote the openness of government and school affairs. Unhealthy tendencies and malpractices of all descriptions that harm the interests of the masses shall be corrected resolutely.

(70) Maintaining harmony and stability in education system.

Schools shall strengthen ideological and political work. Strengthening the campus culture, the building of congenial campuses under such watchwords as peace and stability, civilization, green garden and harmonious shall be carried out in depth. Emphasizing on solving the practical problems for teachers, students and staff, the feasible mechanisms to investigate and settle disputes and conflicts must be adopted. School emergency management system shall maintain a high level of readiness, so that various kinds of incidents can be handled properly. On-campus Internet security management must be enhanced, a sound security system and working mechanism must be established and improved, including the staff defense, material defense, and technical security measures. Education in safety precaution for teachers and students, campus safety management shall be intensified. The ability of disaster prevention, emergency response and prevention of criminal activities must be enhanced. Schools and education departments should strengthen the comprehensive maintenance of public security on campus and surrounding areas for teachers and students to have a working, learning and living environment that is peaceful, stable, orderly, harmonious and dynamic.

Implementation

This Outline for medium- and long-term education reform and development is the first of its kind for the nation in the 21st century, and encompasses a broad range of endeavors over a long period of time. Its mission is weighty, and its requirements are demanding. It should be implemented in real earnest through close-knit arrangements and meticulous organization, so as to ensure that all the listed tasks are carried out in a down-to-earth way.

•	Defining goals and tasks, and allotting responsibilities in pragmatic ways. It is an important responsibility for the Party committees and governments at all levels to implement this Outline. The departments and regions concerned should divide up the goals and tasks among them, define their division of responsibilities and work under a unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in compliance with the arrangements and requirements prescribed in this Outline. The State Council’s education administrative departments are duty-bound to organize and coordinate the execution of this Plan Outline. The other departments concerned should cooperate actively and closely to ensure that a good and solid job is done in translating this Outline into reality.

•	Mapping out executive plans and drafting supplementary policies. Centering around the strategic goals, major tasks, fields of institutional reform, major measures and projects specified in this Outline, local authorities should work out their own plans and measures to implement them one period at a time and step by step. The departments concerned should lose no time to study and formulate practical and feasible supplementary policies, and carry them out as soon as possible.

•	Encouraging exploration and innovation and tightening up supervision and inspection. The pioneering spirit of the public shall be held in high esteem. Local authorities shall be urged to be bold in innovation and creative in carrying out this Outline. The effective practice and experience of localities in implementing this Outline shall be summarized and promoted energetically. The entire implementation process shall be monitored, evaluated, and closely inspected.

•	Publicizing this Outline and mobilizing people extensively and fostering a congenial public opinion environment. Wide publicity shall be given for the Party policies on Education, importance to give priority to education development and significance to turn China into a country rich in human resources, as well as significance of this Outline and its main contents. To translate this Outline into reality, all the Party members and social circles shall be called upon to be more concerned with and supportive of education reform and development. It is also necessary to create a favorable social environment and favorable public opinion for the implementation of this Outline.