Editorials

Education roadmap

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-01 08:12

The second solicitation of public opinion this year for the "General Guidelines for Medium-and-Long-Term Education Development until 2020" speaks volumes to how important the central government views this document. The guidelines will map out the nation's overall education strategy to overcome its downsides as well as catch up with developed countries.

Although education made great contributions to China's achievements since the restoration of the national college entrance examinations in 1977, equal opportunity of education has yet to be realized for everyone from developed and underdeveloped areas. Quality education is still a target for many colleges to attain.

It is obvious that extensive public opinion, those from the education field in particular, provide food for thought. That is why Premier Wen Jiabao convened five seminars in less than a month from Jan 11 to Feb 6 to discuss issues with teachers, students, parents and experts.

More than 5,000 suggestions were collected in a month after public opinion was invited for the guidelines last year. And the guidelines have been revised many times in the past year by taking good suggestions into consideration.

They will be gradually implemented after the solicitation of public opinion for the second time. Hopefully, in making specific policies, public opinion will also be collected and taken into consideration. Only by extensively listening to the voice of the public will the government hopefully be able to do a better job in formulating sensible policies and have them implemented to the content of the public and real boom of education.

(China Daily 03/01/2010 page8)