It is learnt from the Annual Working Meeting of the Ministry of Education concluded Wednesday that the said Ministry had completed the blueprint for educational reform and development in 2002 right before the advent of New Year's Day.

Focus of Educational Work in 2002

The Ministry pointed out that basic educational work in the New Year would focus on three key links, i.e., moral education, updating of teaching materials and reform of the examination assessment system.

To deal with the growing number of junior high school graduates in the next several years, the ministry will leave no stone unturned to increase input in senior high schools, expand existing teaching resources for senior high schools, encourage the development of civilian-run senior high schools, and promote the coordinated development of vocational high schools and regular high schools.

Work of higher education in 2002 will focus on further strengthening of the construction of high-level universities and key disciplines.

Stable Transition to Be Guaranteed

Efforts are required to guarantee a stable transition in the peak period of school-age people to study in junior high schools, and control the rate of discontinued schooling in junior high schools in rural areas.

China plans to enroll 4.65 million students in regular universities and adult higher education for training undergraduates and junior college graduates next year. Continued efforts will be made to promote the substantial merger of amalgamated universities, boost the reform of logistics socialization in colleges and universities, and spur the reform of contents and methods of university (or college) entrance examination.

New Measures to Tackle Challenges by WTO Accession

In the spirit of "emancipating the mind and marching with time", the Ministry of Education will take new measures to tackle the challenges posed by WTO accession: vigorously introduce quality foreign teaching resources mainly for higher education and vocational education, regulate actions in Sino-foreign cooperative running of schools according to law, further expand the opening of education to the outside and promote international educational exchanges and cooperation.

(People?s Daily December 28, 2001)