Education continues strong progress

China continued to build a strong education system in 2023, a measure considered a pillar for advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The Ministry of Education convened strategic consultation meetings on building a nation with a strong education system across the country, signing strategic cooperation agreements to promote the high-quality development of education.

The National Symposium for Outstanding Teachers was held in September last year. In a letter, President Xi Jinping sent greetings to teachers and those working in the education sector as well as representatives of outstanding teachers attending the symposium.

China has seen plenty of excellent teachers, and they have demonstrated the distinctive ethos of the country's educationists, Xi said. He also expressed his hope for teachers nationwide to carry on those high ideals.

The World Chinese Language Conference in December attracted 2,000 participants from China and abroad, including government officials and experts on Chinese-language education.

During the conference in Beijing, several panels and forums discussed issues such as the development of Confucius Institutes and academic systems for international Chinese-language education. Many foreign attendees showed strong interest in Chinese culture and were able to express themselves fluently in Chinese.

In February, the World Digital Education Conference was held to discuss digital transformation and the future of education, with the aim of promoting international cooperation in the field.

A reading branch of Smart Education China was officially launched in March. On June 9, the National Smart Education Platform was awarded the UNESCO Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Education.

Meanwhile, the Chinese delegation topped the overall medal standings at the Chengdu FISU World University Games held in Sichuan province from July 28 to Aug 8.

On Nov 5, China's first Student (Youth) Games kicked off in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, aiming to deepen the integration of sports and education.

The UNESCO IISTEM in Shanghai was established in November, marking the first Category 1 Institute of UNESCO in China, as well as the first outside Europe and the United States.

In response to the urgent needs of a vast number of developing countries, China proposed to UNESCO the establishment of a new global category 1 center, aiming to promote global exchanges and cooperation in STEM education.

In June, opinions on building a high-quality and equitable public education system were issued, which proposed promoting equal access to basic public education services and meeting people's desire for a good education system. Schools were urged to provide scientific education services after the country implemented the policy of reducing the burdens on students from school assignments and out-of-school classes. The measures for the administrative penalties of extracurricular training have been officially carried out.

In April, the education ministry, along with 17 other departments, jointly issued an action plan for improving work on students' mental health.

The National Advisory Committee for Students' Mental Health was established in November. It is responsible for research, consultation, monitoring, evaluation, and scientific popularization of mental health work in universities, middle schools and primary schools across the country.