Summary:

As discussed in a previous SIEM blog article, China’s 19^th Communist Party National Congress was held in October. In his remarks at the press conference of the Congress, Minister of Education Chen Baosheng set out seven tasks for education, discussed targets for China’s education sector by 2020 in four areas, and laid out four long-term aspirations that the country should accomplish by 2049.

According to the Minister Chen, the key tasks for the next few years are as follows:

1. To give priority to overall education and strengthen the leadership of the Communist Party in education system.
2. To promote the coordinated development of compulsory education in urban and rural areas.
3. To improve the system of vocational education and training, and promote integration between industry and education and cooperation between enterprises and colleges.
4. To see that the vast majority of the new members of the urban and rural labour force have received upper secondary education, and that more receive higher education, which is crucial to avoiding the "middle income trap."
5. To strengthen professional ethics and competence of teachers, and encourage public respect for educators and public support for education.
6. To improve the system of financial aid to students and ensure that no child drops out because of family financial difficulties.
7. To establish a life-long learning system and improve continuing education, step up efforts to build a learning society and promote the well-rounded development of all Chinese people.

The following four 2020 targets were discussed in the speech:

1. At the pre-school level, the gross enrolment ratio will be increased from today's 77.4 percent to 85 percent by 2020, and the proportion of kindergartens that provide “inclusive services” to families from different economic backgrounds will increase from 60 to 80 per cent. 
2. At the compulsory education level, oversized classes (class sizes above 45 at primary level and above 50 at secondary level in urban areas) will be eliminated. The proportion of students completing their compulsory education and graduating from junior high school will be increased from 93.4 per cent in 2016 to 95 per cent, with particular attention being paid to remote and poor areas and those with large ethnic minority populations.
3. At the post-compulsory stage, upper secondary enrolment will reach over 90 percent compared to the current 87.5 per cent (including both academic and vocational education). The entrance rate to higher education will increase from today's 42.7 percent to 50 percent (including both bachelor’s degree study and three-year higher vocational diplomas).
4. Teacher competence and education quality should be improved.

Chen Baosheng also set out some ambitious visions for Chinese education in 2049, the centenary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China:

1. By 2049, China's education should be seen as the leading international standard.
2. China should be the top choice for international students, with more overseas students studying in China than in any other country
3. China will have a greater international influence in education development.
4. Textbooks written in the Chinese language will be more widely used worldwide.

Analysis by Kevin Prest

Although the 2049 ambitions set out by Minister Chen are still a long way off, they are reflected in current government policies. For example, the World Class Universities strategy aims to improve both the quality of China’s higher education and its international prestige, while the number of overseas students in China is being increased through strategies such as scholarships and international engagement. A recent SIEM News article on the establishment of a UNESCO teacher education research centre in Shanghai is an example of China working to gain greater influence in international education organisations. And the expansion of Confucius Institutes around the world is a clear illustration of the Chinese government’s work to raise the profile of the Chinese language internationally.

Sources:

1. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2017-10/24/content_33637493.htm

2. http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-10/23/content_33597639.htm

3. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/19thcpcnationalcongress/2017-10/22/content_33567329.htm

4. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-10/20/content_33488526.htm

5. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2017-10/23/content_33595004.htm