Implementing the "Trans-century EQO Education Project" and Enhance the Quality of the Nation

1. To realize the "two basic" objectives as scheduled by the year 2000 constitutes the "top priority" of national educational undertakings. We are now at the crucial stage of this process , and the realization of the national objectives must be ensured£® The central and westen parts of the country make up the key and most difficult areas in universalizing compulsory education.
Efforts will be made to continue implementing the" National Compulsory Education Project in Poverty- stricken Areas", concentrating on mountainous, pastoral and border areas. Efforts will be made to further strengthen educational inspection and improve the inspection agencies and their working procedures so as to ensure the quality of "two basics" and the smooth implementation of EQO education.

2. EQO education will be promoted earnestly in all educational sectors so as to improve the quality of the nation and enhance its innovative capacity through implementation of the "Trans-century EQO Education Project". We will carry out reforms in curricular and the evaluation system so that by the year 2000 a framework and standards of basic education curricular will have taken preliminary shape and progress made in reforming the content and methods of teaching, in promoting a new system of evaluation, in the in-service training of teachers, and in launching experiments on new school curricula. It is envisaged that on the basis of experiments extending over ten years or so, we will be enabled to implement a new system of basic education curricula and teaching materials for the 21st century throughout the country.

3. We should strengthen moral education and improve moral education in schools. We should continue to strengthen education in patriotism, collectivism and socialist ideals, intensify education in the rule of law and in discipline, and foster the sense of public morals. We will carry forward education in the fine tradition of the Chinese nation an in our revolutionary tradition. We should also conduct education in labor skills and mental health. Thus our students will be brought up with fine morality, sound mentality and lofty sentiments.

4. Physical and aesthetic education, being important components of EQO education, should be strengthened. We should help all students to develop a strong physique. Aesthetic education not only can enrich students with lofty ideals but can also stimulate their interest in study, promote their intellectual development, and enhance their creativity£® With the operational Rules on Aesthetic Education in Educational Institutions being issued, and with progress made in deepening reforms and in improving relevant facilities, it is envisaged that by the year 2001, scientifically sounder systems of physical and aesthetic education will have taken preliminary shape. An important feature of these systems is the dovetailing of physical and aesthetic education provided in schools at all levels. Beside, efforts will be made to ensure schools of all types and levels staffed with an adequate number of qualified teachers of physical and aesthetic education to guarantee the quality of instruction.

5. EQO education should be closely attended to from early childhood£® Scientific methodology should be adopted to develop young children's intelligence, physical fitness, good habits, lively personality and a keen desire for knowledge.

Due attention should be given to the education of people with special learning needs. We should render efforts to provide access to schooling for disabled children, to inculcate in them the spirit of independence and self-improvement, and to enhance. their living and developing capacities.

6. We should keep enlarging the scale of educational programs for ethnic minority students in inland educational institutions to promote quality improvement for all minority groups. At the stage of basic education , we should strive to run well the existing inland classes (schools) for minority people from border areas and properly enlarge their scale of operation. The inland HEIs should make greater contributions to the training of highly qualified professionals for ethnic minorities. Due attention should be given to strengthening bilingual education and teachers' training in minority areas.

7. A system of legal decrees and regulations for Chinese language work needs be instituted and improved and language work should be promoted in a systematic way. An important component of EQO education in schools of all types and levels in general, and in primary and secondary schools and teacher training institutions in particular is the endeavor to speak well putonghua (common speech) , to write well standard Chinese characters , and to enhance the ability of both teachers and students in the practical use of written and spoken Chinese. Macro-level management of information processing for both ethnic Han Chinese and minority languages should be strengthened£® The whole society should strive to raise their consciousness of using normative language and characters in accordance with the existing legal provisions. By the year 2010, standard language and character usage should have been basically realized throughout the country, fitting in with the needs of economical, social and cultural development in our socialist construction.