Working together: Prioritizing education development and transformation for a better future

Chinese President XI Jinping stated that education is the fundamental way for humankind to pass on civilizations and knowledge, bring up new generations, and create a better life. Today, human society is facing unprecedented challenges. The progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is far below expectations, while a new technological revolution is sweeping across the world. Education is the bridge to a better future; we must prioritize the development of education and take action to transform it, to empower individuals, reshape societies and lead the way into the future.

As investing in education is investing in our futures; giving priority to the development of education is an inevitable choice for creating a better future. 

China gives high priority to the development of education in its strategic planning, financial investment and allocation of public resources. The proportion of national fiscal education expenditures in GDP has been kept above 4% for eleven consecutive years, and significant achievements have been made in implementing the Education 2030 Agenda.  

As of 2023, the gross enrollment rate at the preschool level has reached 91.1%, the completion rate of nine-year compulsory education 95.7%, the gross enrollment rate for high school 91.8%, and the gross enrollment rate for higher education 60.2%. Access to education has been effectively ensured for all. Education has become more equitable and inclusive, and the quality has been significantly improved. The proportion of the illiterate population has dropped to 2.67%, while the average years of education for new entrants to the labour force have reached 14 years, which has underpinned rapid and sustained socio-economic development. 

At present, with the accelerated unfolding of a new round of technological and industrial revolution, education is the best converging point to promote talent cultivation, knowledge production, and technological innovation. Looking into the future, we must take the initiative to transform education and make a meaningful impact. 

To transform education, we should pursue a people-centred approach since education is fundamental to improving the well-being of the people. With the aim of promoting the all-round development of the people and meeting their increasing needs for education, China is dedicated to developing a comprehensive education system, integrating moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education, to enhance students’ core competencies in humanistic values, spirit of science, ability to learn, healthy living, sense of responsibility and practical innovation, among others.  

Active efforts have also been made to foster students’ sense of community of a shared future for humankind as well as the awareness of ecological civilization, to enable them to develop themselves, contribute to society, and benefit humankind. We have strengthened the linkage between education and poverty alleviation and established a financial assistance system covering education at all levels and of all types, also provided dedicated support to students with disabilities, and achieved a dynamic zero dropout rate in compulsory education. 

To transform education, we should leverage digitalization, as it is a future development trend and plays a pivotal role in advancing education transformation. China has implemented the national strategy for the digitalization of education, upholding the principles of application-oriented and “integrated, intelligent, international”. We have pooled high-quality, systematic and enriched digital resources to set up a public service platform entitled Smart Education of China, which provides non-stop, all-weather, and supermarket-style services for students and the public. Students and teachers in remote areas thus could have access to quality education resources. Individualized learning, teaching, school governance, and education reform and innovation have been facilitated and supported as well. Furthermore, China adheres to the principle of “Digital for Good”, reinforcing the protection of learners’ privacy and strengthening the ethical use of AI to ensure its development is in service of humankind. 

To transform education, we should focus on teachers, who are the agents of education transformation. China regards the development of the teaching force as a task of fundamental importance. Guided by the ideals of great educators, and with the engagement of normal and comprehensive universities, a teacher education system and an in-job teacher training system have been established, in which artificial intelligence and digital technologies are used to empower teachers. Policies are implemented to allocate qualified teachers to rural and remote areas. Measures are taken to improve teachers’ remuneration and social status and to promote a social atmosphere of respect for teachers and teaching. We are committed to helping the 18.92 million teachers become a high-quality, professional, and innovative teaching force.

Humanity is an interconnected community of a shared future that shares weal and woe. Faced with crises, challenges and uncertainties, we need to strengthen cooperation and solidarity more than ever before. 

With opening up as a fundamental national policy, China has been ardently promoting international cooperation and exchanges in education and steadfastly supporting UNESCO’s global priorities. Invited by UNESCO, Professor PENG Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President XI Jinping, has served as UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls’ and Women’s Education. China and UNESCO have jointly established the Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education for its global development. China has been collaborating with UNESCO to implement three phases of the China-UNESCO Funds-in-Trust to boost education development in Africa, benefiting 30,000 teachers and a large number of students in higher technical and vocational schools in 12 African countries.  

China provides funds and favourable conditions to support the establishment of UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education as a new channel for cooperation to elevate STEM education in developing countries. China has also taken the initiative to organize the World Digital Education Conference and the International Forum on AI and Education to provide platforms for international educational cooperation and exchanges and promote the digital transformation of global education. 

Human societies have come to a crossroads in history. We must put education at the core of the agenda of the UN Summit of the Future and take collective actions to promote education development and transformation, to build the community of a shared future for humankind, and to pave the way for a better future!