The CCP Politburo conducted its fifth collective study session on building an education superpower on the afternoon of May 29. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee, stressed during the study session that a prosperous education system means a prosperous country, and a strong education system means a strong country. Building an education superpower is the strategic vanguard for the comprehensive construction of a socialist modernized country. It is a vital support for realizing high-level S&T self-reliance and self-improvement, an effective path to promote the common prosperity of all people, and a fundamental project for comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization. We need to fully implement the Party’s education policy, insist on people-centered education development, actively plan ahead, effectively respond to changes, and strive to open new prospects. We must accelerate the modernization of education, lay a solid foundation for people’s happiness with the power of education, solidify the foundation of national wealth and strength with the power of education, and provide strong support for comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
中共中央政治局5月29日下午就建设教育强国进行第五次集体学习。中共中央总书记习近平在主持学习时强调，教育兴则国家兴，教育强则国家强。建设教育强国，是全面建成社会主义现代化强国的战略先导，是实现高水平科技自立自强的重要支撑，是促进全体人民共同富裕的有效途径，是以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴的基础工程。要全面贯彻党的教育方针，坚持以人民为中心发展教育，主动超前布局、有力应对变局、奋力开拓新局，加快推进教育现代化，以教育之力厚植人民幸福之本，以教育之强夯实国家富强之基，为全面推进中华民族伟大复兴提供有力支撑。
Qiu Yong, the Secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, provided an explanation of this issue and suggested work recommendations. Comrades from the CCP Politburo listened carefully to the explanation and held a discussion.
清华大学党委书记、中国科学院院士邱勇就这个问题进行讲解，提出工作建议。中央政治局的同志认真听取了讲解，并进行了讨论。
After listening to the explanations and discussions, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech. He pointed out that since the 18th Party Congress, the Party Central Committee has regarded education as a major plan for the country and the Party, made significant decisions to accelerate the modernization of education and build an education superpower, and promoted historical achievements and structural changes in education in the new era. China has built the world’s largest education system, and the overall level of education modernization has entered the ranks of middle and upper countries in the world. According to estimates, China’s current education superpower index ranks 23rd globally, an increase of 26 places since 2012, making it the country with the fastest progress. This fully proves that the path of education development under socialism with Chinese characteristics is completely correct.
习近平在听取讲解和讨论后发表了重要讲话。他指出，党的十八大以来，党中央坚持把教育作为国之大计、党之大计，作出加快教育现代化、建设教育强国的重大决策，推动新时代教育事业取得历史性成就、发生格局性变化。国我已建成世界上规模最大的教育体系，教育现代化发展总体水平跨入世界中上国家行列。据测算，我国目前的教育强国指数居全球第23位，比2012年上升26位，是进步最快的国家。这充分证明，中国特色社会主义教育发展道路是完全正确的。
Xi Jinping emphasized that the education superpower we want to build is an education superpower with Chinese characteristics. We must adhere to the Party’s overall leadership over education as a fundamental guarantee, take moral education as a fundamental task, educate people for the Party and the country as a fundamental goal, serve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as an important mission, and modernize education philosophy, system, institutions, content, methods, and governance as the basic path, support and lead Chinese-style modernization as the core function, and ultimately provide satisfactory education for the people.
习近平强调，我们要建设的教育强国，是中国特色社会主义教育强国，必须以坚持党对教育事业的全面领导为根本保证，以立德树人为根本任务，以为党育人、为国育才为根本目标，以服务中华民族伟大复兴为重要使命，以教育理念、体系、制度、内容、方法、治理现代化为基本路径，以支撑引领中国式现代化为核心功能，最终是办好人民满意的教育。
Xi Jinping pointed out that who to train, how to train, and for what to train are fundamental issues in education, and they are also the core topics in building an education superpower. The purpose of our construction of an education superpower is to cultivate generation after generation of socialist builders and successors who have all-around development in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor fields. We aim to cultivate generation after generation of talents who are useful and capable of taking on heavy responsibilities in the construction of socialist modernization, and ensure the succession of the Party’s cause and the construction of a socialist modernization superpower. We should relentlessly use the thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era to mold and educate people, focus on strengthening education on the core values of socialism, guide students to establish firm ideals and beliefs, always listen to the Party, follow the Party, and be determined to dedicate themselves to the country and the people. We should insist on reform and innovation, promote the integrated construction of ideological and political education in primary, secondary, and higher education, and improve the pertinence and attractiveness of ideological and political courses. We must improve online education capabilities and excel in school ideological and political work and ideological work in the internet era.
习近平指出，培养什么人、怎样培养人、为谁培养人是教育的根本问题，也是建设教育强国的核心课题。我们建设教育强国的目的，就是培养一代又一代德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人，培养一代又一代在社会主义现代化建设中可堪大用、能担重任的栋梁之才，确保党的事业和社会主义现代化强国建设后继有人。要坚持不懈用新时代中国特色社会主义思想铸魂育人，着力加强社会主义核心价值观教育，引导学生树立坚定的理想信念，永远听党话、跟党走，矢志奉献国家和人民。坚持改革创新，推进大中小学思想政治教育一体化建设，提高思政课的针对性和吸引力。提高网络育人能力，扎实做好互联网时代的学校思想政治工作和意识形态工作。
Xi Jinping emphasized that high-quality development must be the lifeline of education at all levels, and we must speed up the construction of a high-quality education system. Building an education superpower starts with basic education. The more solid the basic education, the steadier the pace of an education superpower, and the more sustainable its strength. We should promote the universal, inclusive, safe, and high-quality development of preschool education, and promote the quality and balanced development of compulsory education and urban-rural integration. Basic education should not only solidify students’ knowledge bases but also stimulate their interests in science and the unknown, and cultivate their exploratory and innovative thinking. We should establish a scientific view of talent, success, and education in the whole society, accelerate the reversal of the utilitarian tendency of education, and form a healthy education environment and ecology. In building an education superpower, the leading role is for higher education. We should regard accelerating the construction of world-class universities and superior disciplines with Chinese characteristics as a top priority, strengthen the construction of basic disciplines, emerging disciplines, and interdisciplinary disciplines, aim at the forefront of world science and technology and the national strategic needs to promote scientific research and innovation, and continuously enhance innovation ability and talent training quality. We must build a lifelong learning society and a learning power, promote the ability for everyone to learn anywhere and at any time, constantly improve the level of national education, comprehensively improve the level of human resources development, and promote the all-around development of people.
习近平强调，要坚持把高质量发展作为各级各类教育的生命线，加快建设高质量教育体系。建设教育强国，基点在基础教育。基础教育搞得越扎实，教育强国步伐就越稳、后劲就越足。要推进学前教育普及普惠安全优质发展，推动义务教育优质均衡发展和城乡一体化。基础教育既要夯实学生的知识基础，也要激发学生崇尚科学、探索未知的兴趣，培养其探索性、创新性思维品质。要在全社会树立科学的人才观、成才观、教育观，加快扭转教育功利化倾向，形成健康的教育环境和生态。建设教育强国，龙头是高等教育。要把加快建设中国特色、世界一流的大学和优势学科作为重中之重，大力加强基础学科、新兴学科、交叉学科建设，瞄准世界科技前沿和国家重大战略需求推进科研创新，不断提升原始创新能力和人才培养质量。要建设全民终身学习的学习型社会、学习型大国，促进人人皆学、处处能学、时时可学，不断提高国民受教育程度，全面提升人力资源开发水平，促进人的全面发展。
Xi Jinping pointed out that serving high-quality development is an important task in building an education superpower. The construction of an education superpower, a technological superpower, and a talent superpower has inherent consistency and mutual support. They should be organically combined and promoted as a whole to form a multiplication effect to promote high-quality development. We must further strengthen scientific education and engineering education, strengthen the independent cultivation of top innovative talents, and provide talent support for solving the key core technology problems in China. We must systematically analyze the development trends and gaps in talent in various aspects of China, according to the development trend of science and technology, focus on the major strategic needs of the country, dynamically adjust and optimize the setting of disciplines in higher education, train national strategic talents and urgently needed talents accurately, and enhance the supporting and contributing power of education for high-quality development. We must coordinate vocational education, higher education, and continuing education, promote the integration of vocational and universal education, the integration of production and education, and the integration of science and education, and continuously cultivate high-quality technical talents, national craftsmen, and skilled artisans.
习近平指出，要把服务高质量发展作为建设教育强国的重要任务。建设教育强国、科技强国、人才强国具有内在一致性和相互支撑性，要把三者有机结合起来、一体统筹推进，形成推动高质量发展的倍增效应。进一步加强科学教育、工程教育，加强拔尖创新人才自主培养，为解决我国关键核心技术攻关提供人才支撑。系统分析我国各方面人才发展趋势及缺口状况，根据科学技术发展态势，聚焦国家重大战略需求，动态调整优化高等教育学科设置，有的放矢培养国家战略人才和急需紧缺人才，提升教育对高质量发展的支撑力、贡献力。统筹职业教育、高等教育、继续教育，推进职普融通、产教融合、科教融汇，源源不断培养高素质技术技能人才、大国工匠、能工巧匠。
Xi Jinping emphasized that the leap from a big education country to a powerful education country is a systematic leap and qualitative change, which must be driven by reform and innovation. We must adhere to the systemic concept, coordinate the reform of education methods, school operation models, management systems, and safeguard mechanisms, resolutely break all ideological and conceptual constraints and systemic and mechanistic problems that restrict high-quality education development, and comprehensively improve the level of modernization of the education governance system and governance capabilities. We must incorporate the promotion of education equity into every aspect and link of deepening comprehensive reform in the field of education, narrow the urban-rural, regional, school-to-school, and group gaps in education, strive to enable every child to enjoy fair and quality education, and better meet the needs of the people for “good schooling.” We must deepen the reform of education evaluation in the new era, build multi-subject participation, conforming to China’s reality, and build a world-class education evaluation system. We must strengthen textbook construction and management, firmly grasp the correct political direction and value orientation, and carefully create high-quality textbooks that cultivate the soul, enlighten wisdom, and increase knowledge. Digitalization of education is an important breakthrough for China to open up new tracks for education development and shape new advantages for education development. We must further promote digital education, provide effective support for personalized learning and lifelong learning, expand the coverage of high-quality education resources, and modernize education.
习近平强调，从教育大国到教育强国是一个系统性跃升和质变，必须以改革创新为动力。要坚持系统观念，统筹推进育人方式、办学模式、管理体制、保障机制改革，坚决破除一切制约教育高质量发展的思想观念束缚和体制机制弊端，全面提高教育治理体系和治理能力现代化水平。把促进教育公平融入到深化教育领域综合改革的各方面各环节，缩小教育的城乡、区域、校际、群体差距，努力让每个孩子都能享有公平而有质量的教育，更好满足群众对“上好学”的需要。深化新时代教育评价改革，构建多元主体参与、符合中国实际、具有世界水平的教育评价体系。加强教材建设和管理，牢牢把握正确政治方向和价值导向，用心打造培根铸魂、启智增慧的精品教材。教育数字化是我国开辟教育发展新赛道和塑造教育发展新优势的重要突破口。进一步推进数字教育，为个性化学习、终身学习、扩大优质教育资源覆盖面和教育现代化提供有效支撑。
Xi Jinping pointed out that we should improve the strategy of opening up education to the outside world, coordinate the two major tasks of “bringing in” and “going out,” effectively use world-class education resources and innovative elements, and make China an important education center with strong influence in the world. We should actively participate in global education governance, vigorously promote the construction of the “Study in China” brand, tell Chinese stories, spread Chinese experiences, broadcast China’s voice, and enhance the international influence and discourse power of China’s education.
习近平指出，要完善教育对外开放战略策略，统筹做好“引进来”和“走出去”两篇大文章，有效利用世界一流教育资源和创新要素，使我国成为具有强大影响力的世界重要教育中心。要积极参与全球教育治理，大力推进“留学中国”品牌建设，讲好中国故事、传播中国经验、发出中国声音，增强我国教育的国际影响力和话语权。
Xi Jinping emphasized that to strengthen education, we must first strengthen teachers. We should regard strengthening the construction of the teacher team as the most important basic work for building an education superpower, improve the teacher education system with Chinese characteristics, and vigorously cultivate a high-quality professional teacher team with high moral character, excellent professionalism, reasonable structure, and full of vitality. We should promote the social practice of respecting teachers and education, improve the political, social, and professional status of teachers, make teaching one of the most respected professions in society, and support and attract outstanding talents to teach with enthusiasm, meticulousness, long-term commitment, and lifelong commitment. We should strengthen the construction of teacher ethics and style, guide the majority of teachers to firm up their ideals and beliefs, cultivate moral sentiments, cultivate solid knowledge, and cultivate the heart of kindness, set the aspiration and ambition of “cultivating the podium, strengthening the country and me,” stick to the three-foot podium, and devote themselves to teaching and educating people.
习近平强调，强教必先强师。要把加强教师队伍建设作为建设教育强国最重要的基础工作来抓，健全中国特色教师教育体系，大力培养造就一支师德高尚、业务精湛、结构合理、充满活力的高素质专业化教师队伍。弘扬尊师重教社会风尚，提高教师政治地位、社会地位、职业地位，使教师成为最受社会尊重的职业之一，支持和吸引优秀人才热心从教、精心从教、长期从教、终身从教。加强师德师风建设，引导广大教师坚定理想信念、陶冶道德情操、涵养扎实学识、勤修仁爱之心，树立“躬耕教坛、强国有我”的志向和抱负，坚守三尺讲台，潜心教书育人。
Finally, Xi Jinping emphasized that building an education superpower is a common task for the whole Party and society. We must persist in and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership of education work, continuously improve the education leadership system where the Party committee exercises unified leadership, the Party and government manage together, and departments each fulfill their responsibilities. Party committees and governments at all levels must always adhere to the priority development of education and increase efforts in organizational leadership, development planning, resource security, and funding input. Schools, families, and society should cooperate closely, exert their efforts in the same direction, actively participate in the practice of building an education superpower, and work together to run a good education superpower. The whole Party and all the people of the country must have firm confidence, persevere, and work together to achieve the goal of an education superpower as soon as possible.
习近平最后强调，建设教育强国是全党全社会的共同任务。要坚持和加强党对教育工作的全面领导，不断完善党委统一领导、党政齐抓共管、部门各负其责的教育领导体制。各级党委和政府要始终坚持教育优先发展，在组织领导、发展规划、资源保障、经费投入上加大力度。学校、家庭、社会要紧密合作、同向发力，积极投身教育强国实践，共同办好教育强国事业。全党全国人民要坚定信心、久久为功，为早日实现教育强国目标而共同努力。