BEIJING, Sept. 10,
2024 /CNW/ -- Working as a primary school teacher
in Taishitun Township in Beijing, Diao Rongchun has remained deeply
committed to education in mountainous areas.
Adhering to the concept of "tolerance, gentleness, cultivation
and education," Diao employs a teaching method based on
interaction, mutual appreciation and mutual promotion, paying close
attention to the growth of every student.
To that end, she has traveled throughout the township, visiting
left-behind children and single-parent students in mountainous
areas, formulating special study plans for them, and earning the
trust and gratitude of their parents.
During an awards ceremony held on Sunday to honor model teachers
and outstanding groups and institutions in China's education sector ahead of the 40th
Teachers' Day, which falls on Tuesday, Diao, among a total of 716
people, was awarded the title of national model teacher.
While addressing a national meeting on education in Beijing from Monday to Tuesday, Chinese
President Xi Jinping sent greetings to teachers and others working
in the education sector across the country, urging efforts to make
solid progress toward the strategic goal of building China into a leading country in education.
Building a high-quality education system
To date, China has developed
the world's largest and highest-quality education system, achieving
a historic leap in the level of education popularization.
According to official data, in 2023, there are 498,300 schools
of all types and levels across the country, with 291 million
students enrolled in academic education and 18.918 million
full-time teachers.
Meanwhile, the academic qualifications of teachers have also
steadily improved. In 2023, 78 percent of primary school teachers
and 93 percent of junior high school teachers hold a bachelor's
degree or higher. The proportion of teachers with senior
professional titles has increased significantly, including the
establishment of senior teacher positions in primary and secondary
schools.
The enrollment rate for higher education increased from 30
percent in 2012 to 57.8 percent in 2021, marking a historic leap
that signifies higher education in China has entered a stage of widespread
recognition. Many Chinese universities and disciplines have
achieved a very advanced level globally.
Additionally, China emphasizes
the equal importance and coordinated development of vocational and
general education, accelerating the creation of a modern vocational
education system to help students with diverse talents and
interests realize their potential.
Describing the effort to build a leading education system as
complex and systematic, Xi Jinping emphasized the need to focus on
education's fundamental task of fostering virtue. He called for
efforts to cultivate a high-caliber teaching workforce and stressed
the importance of improving teachers' status, pay and welfare to
make teaching one of the most respected professions.
Xi also highlighted the need to develop high-quality and
balanced compulsory education and to reduce disparities between
urban and rural areas, regions, schools and social groups.
Opening China's education
sector to the world
In China, many major national
projects rely heavily on key technologies provided by universities,
which play a crucial role in basic research and are the source of
significant scientific and technological breakthroughs.
At the National Science and Technology Award Conference in 2023,
universities and colleges won 75.5 percent of the State Natural
Science Awards, 75.6 percent of the State Technological Invention
Awards, and 56.5 percent of the State Scientific and Technological
Progress Awards, respectively.
Moreover, China collaborates on
major scientific research projects with relevant countries through
the establishment of overseas science and education cooperation
centers to address global challenges.
For example, the China-Africa Joint Research Center, established
in 2013, is the first comprehensive scientific and educational
institution built overseas by China. The center brings together scientific
research and teaching institutions from 16 African countries and
China to collaborate on fields
such as biodiversity surveys and assessments, water resources, and
ecological environment monitoring, creating a network that
integrates scientific research and talent training.
To date, researchers at the center have jointly published more
than 600 papers, held over 30 international training courses and
technical sessions, and trained more than 300 students from 14
African countries.
China also hosts various
international conferences, such as the World Digital Education
Conference, establishes Luban Workshops in multiple countries, and
expands exchanges between Chinese and foreign youths, aiming to
build a significant global education center.
During the national meeting on education, Xi emphasized the
importance of further opening China's education sector to the world,
including expanding international academic exchanges and broadening
cooperation in education and scientific research.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-10/President-Xi-stresses-building-China-into-leading-country-in-education-1wMHdgqzPBS/p.html
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SOURCE CGTN