The Second Plenary Meeting of the 2023 National Educational Work Conference was held on Jan. 13, marking the end of the two-day conference. Twelve educational departments of local governments made reports at the meeting. Huai Jinpeng, minister of education, secretary of the Leading Party Group for MOE and head of the CPC Central Committee’s Leading Group on Educational Work, hosted the event and delivered a speech.
Huai said that participants at the 2023 National Educational Work Conference reached extensive consensus and shared useful experiences, thus amplifying the effect of educational reform. Following guidance from the 20th CPC National Congress, the conference set new priorities and specified requirements for educational planning this year. Building on progress over the past decade, the educational sector will work harder and with greater confidence and perseverance to expand its accomplishments. Efforts will be made to increase political awareness across the educational system, thus broadening the role of education in serving national goals and promoting social and economic development.
Huai stressed the need to make a good beginning in all educational work in 2023. First of all, the national strategy of invigorating China through education will be rolled out based on systematic and deliberate planning and clearly defined goals, tasks and measures. Second, the quality of talent training will be improved to better support the country’s modernization: vocational education will see enhanced industry–education integration while higher education will play a larger role in facilitating technological innovation, regional economic growth, and optimization of the industrial structure. Third, quality improvement and balanced development in basic education will gather pace to ensure the all-round development of children and youth. Fourth, the educational sector will open wider to the outside world in order to promote international cooperation and exchange in the fields of technology and human resources and thus increase the global presence of China’s educational services. Lastly, proper COVID-19 control measures will be taken in response to new developments and needs to ensure provision of necessary medical assistance and health care to students and school staff.
The minister also emphasized the need for educational departments of local governments to maintain timely communication with deputies to the National People’s Congress and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in order to provide updates on educational reform and forge synergies to promote the quality development of education.
