Baotou improves education system over past decade

A kindergarten teacher teaches children in Baotou. [Photo/Baotou news network]

Primary school students in Baotou learn the ocarina in class. [Photo/Baotou news network]

Students at vocational schools in Baotou participate in skill competitions. [Photo/Baotou news network]

A preschool education public service system has taken shape in Baotou over the past 10 years. The city has invested 1.35 billion yuan ($183 million) in preschool education, and the total number of kindergartens has increased from 151 to 367.

To date, 50 autonomous region level demonstration kindergartens and 94 municipal level demonstration kindergartens have been built in the city, with 44.9 percent of the population enjoying access to high-quality preschool education resources, and 93.88 percent enjoying access to inclusive kindergartens, far exceeding the national and autonomous region standards.

In addition, in order to deepen the reform of general vocational integration, in 2019, the city began to set up "comprehensive high school classes", the basic model of which is the cooperation between ordinary high schools and vocational high schools, giving students about 20 points below the general high school entrance examination a new choice.

After entering the vocational high school, students who can achieve a grade equal to that of ordinary high school after one year of study will enter the corresponding ordinary high school to continue their studies. Those who cannot achieve a sufficiently high grade will stay in the vocational high school to complete vocational education.

This has ensured the fairness of education and given weak junior high school students more opportunities to enjoy high-quality general senior high school education.