[Original] Zhao Zengyan, Han Yunqing: Unswervingly Follow the Path of Socialist Educational Development with Chinese Characteristics
The question of the banner and the question of the road are the primary issues relating to the rise or fall, success or failure, of the Party's cause. A doctrine is a banner; a doctrine is a direction. Direction determines the road, and the road determines destiny; the banner and the road are the very lifeblood of the Party. "Only the wearer knows if the shoes fit" [1]. What kind of development road a country takes depends crucially on whether that road can solve the historical challenges facing that nation.
I. The road of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the broad avenue for creating a better life for the people and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation
Unique cultural traditions, historical destiny, and basic national conditions destined us to follow a development road of revolution, construction, and reform suited to our own characteristics. In its century of struggle, our Party has always persisted in proceeding from our country's national conditions, exploring and forming a correct road that conforms to China's reality. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Whether in revolution, construction, or reform, the question of the road is the most fundamental issue... That we have been able to create development achievements unprecedented in human history is fundamentally due to our having found the correct road." The road of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the broad avenue for creating a better life for the people and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This road has deep historical origins and a broad realistic foundation; it is a correct road already proven by practice to suit China’s national conditions and conform to the laws of human social development. It is not only the right way and a viable way, but it will also certainly be a steady, effective, and increasingly bright and broad way. The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century, adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, explicitly listed "persisting in the Chinese road" as an important historical experience of the Party's centennial struggle. The Resolution noted: "As long as we stand on Chinese soil, inherit Chinese civilization, and follow the correct road suited to China's national conditions, the Party and the people will have an incomparably vast stage, incomparably deep historical foundations, and incomparably strong determination to press forward." General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized: "No matter what wind or waves we encounter, we must consistently adhere to the fundamental issue of the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics and never change course [2] due to various noises and distractions." History and facts have long proven: following the old road of rigid imitation and closed stagnation leads only to a dead end; following the evil road of "changing the banner" [3] and self-abandonment also leads to a dead end. Only by following the right road of self-confidence, self-strengthening, and upholding the fundamentals and break new ground can we have a bright avenue and a broad path. We must maintain a clear head and strategic resolve, always stay firm in the "Four Confidences" [4]—especially confidence in our road—and with the determination that our aspirations shall not shift and our path shall not change, advance courageously along the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, ensuring that we "remain strong despite a thousand impacts, standing firm against winds from all directions" [5].
II. The road of Chinese-path socialist educational development is the inevitable path for building a leading country in education
The road of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a system of roads composed of a series of specific paths, including the road of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics, the road of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, and the road of development for mass organizations [6] with Chinese characteristics; it also includes the socialist path of the rule of law with Chinese characteristics, the road of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics, the road of urban development with Chinese characteristics, the road of human rights development in China, the road of China's peaceful development, as well as the road of civilized development characterized by advanced production, affluent living, and a sound ecosystem, and the roads of new-type industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics, among others.
The major proposition of the "road of Chinese-path socialist educational development" was first explicitly put forward by Comrade Hu Jintao at the National Education Work Conference on July 13, 2010. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the National Education Conference on September 10, 2018: We must "persist in the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development... with the work objectives of rallying public support, refining character, developing human resources, cultivating talent, and benefiting the people, to train socialist builders and successors with an all-round development in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education, and to accelerate the modernization of education, build a leading country in education, and provide education that satisfies the people." On May 29 of this year, while presiding over the fifth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized once again: "The road of Chinese-path socialist educational development is entirely correct."
Education determines the humanity of today and the humanity of the future; it concerns national development, the future of the nation, and the happiness of the people. Building a strong country and national rejuvenation ultimately depend on education, science and technology, and talent. Education is an undertaking of decisive significance for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In today's world and contemporary China, no other undertaking influences or even determines the issue of successors, the long-term stability of the state, or the rejuvenation and rise of the nation as education does. The fundamental reason why China’s educational cause has been able to achieve historical accomplishments in the New Era lies in unswervingly following the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development; the "magic weapon" for accelerating the construction of a leading country in education on the new journey lies in unswervingly following this road well.
III. Comprehensively grasping the basic connotation and developmental course of the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development
What kind of road exactly is the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development? As early as June 26, 2011, Comrade Yuan Guiren, then Secretary of the Ministry of Education's Party Leadership Group and Minister of Education, first summarized its basic connotation in a speech titled "Advancing Courageously Along the Road of Chinese-path Socialist Educational Development" at a theoretical seminar for national universities commemorating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. Comrade Yuan Guiren emphasized that the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development means, under the leadership of the CPC, adhering to the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the Theory of Three Represents, thoroughly implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development, giving priority to the development of education, fully implementing the Party’s educational policy, basing work on basic national conditions, following the laws of education, promoting the scientific development of the educational cause, cultivating socialist builders and successors with all-round development in moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic aspects, providing education that satisfies the people, and building a country strong in human resources. Comrade Yuan Guiren believed that this road follows the basic laws of education, embodies distinct Chinese characteristics, and reflects the fundamental requirements of socialism, possessing rich connotations and clear characteristics.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping, basing himself on the general trend of world development and the overall situation of national development, and with an eye on the great dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, has delivered a series of important speeches on China's educational development. He has proposed a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new perspectives, forming Xi Jinping’s important discourse on education. Marked by the National Education Conference personally presided over by General Secretary Xi Jinping on September 10, 2018, and his important speech during the fifth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on May 29, 2023, his important discourse on education has become further theorized and systematized. The scientific connotation of the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development has also become more profound, clearer, and more rigorous. Based on the General Secretary’s speech at the National Education Conference, the book Keywords for Party Members and Cadres Study in the New Era (2019 Edition), published by the Party Building Reading Materials Publishing House in April 2019, provided a new summary of this road's basic connotation: Persisting in the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development means persisting in the Party’s comprehensive leadership over education, persisting in taking "fostering virtue through education" [7] as the fundamental task, persisting in the priority development of education, persisting in the socialist direction of schooling, persisting in rooting education in Chinese soil, persisting in the people-centered development of education, persisting in deepening educational reform and innovation, persisting in taking the service of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as the important mission of education, and persisting in taking the construction of the teaching force as foundational work. These "Nine Persists" represent a continuous deepening of our understanding of the laws governing China's educational cause and are a scientific summary of the practical experience of the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development in the New Era.
The road of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a process of continuous development. It is the historical responsibility of us Communists to unswervingly adhere to and develop this road as we advance with the times, constantly enriching the practical, theoretical, national, and epochal characteristics of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The road of Chinese-path socialist educational development is likewise a process of continuous enrichment and development. Based on the important speech by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the fifth collective study session of the Political Bureau, the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development on the New Era's new journey means: fully implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; adhering to education as a matter of great significance for the state and the Party; taking the Party's comprehensive leadership over education as the fundamental guarantee; taking fostering virtue through education as the fundamental task; taking "educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country" as the fundamental goal; taking the service of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as the important mission; taking the modernization of educational concepts, systems, institutions, content, methods, and governance as the basic path; taking the deepening of reform and innovation as the distinct orientation; taking the improvement of opening-up to the outside world as a strategic tactic; taking high-quality development as the lifeline; and taking the support and leadership of Chinese-path modernization as the core function. Its purpose in building a leading country in education is to cultivate generation after generation of socialist builders and successors with all-round development in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education—cultivating generation after generation of pillars of talent [8] who can be of great use and shoulder heavy responsibilities in socialist modernization, ensuring that the Party's cause and the construction of a great modern socialist country have successors. It means persisting in the priority development of education, self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and the driving force of talent; persisting in the socialist direction of schooling; persisting in rooting education in Chinese soil; persisting in the people-centered development of education; and persisting in taking the strengthening of the teaching force as the most important foundational work. This road aims to accelerate the modernization of education and the construction of a leading country in education, using the power of education to deepen the foundation of people's happiness and solidify the base of national prosperity, providing education that satisfies the people and offering strong support for the comprehensive promotion of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The scientific connotation of this road is now richer, its elements more complete, and its orientation toward problems, goals, and results more distinct. It further provides a fundamental answer to the basic questions of education—"who to cultivate, how to cultivate, and for whom to cultivate"—and the core subject of building a leading country in education, thereby elevating our understanding of the laws of socialist educational development to a new level.
Our country's unique history, unique culture, and unique national conditions dictate that we must follow our own road of educational development. The road of Chinese-path socialist educational development was painstakingly created during the new historical period of reform and opening up, greatly developed and innovated in the New Era, and built upon the deep foundation of the long-term struggle of the Chinese nation, our Party, and the people. This road profoundly answers a series of major directional, fundamental, and strategic questions in the construction of a leading country in education, pointing the way forward for upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground in China’s educational cause. It is the only correct road for developing socialist education. This road both adheres to the basic principles of Marxist educational theory and reflects our country's basic national conditions; it both adheres to the basic principles of socialist education and draws upon the excellent achievements of human civilization; it both inherits the fine traditions of Chinese education and possesses distinct epochal characteristics. It is a correct road rooted in Chinese soil, with deep roots in Chinese culture, embodying the advanced essence of scientific socialism, meeting the requirements of national and epochal progress, and enjoying the deep support of the people. It is a broad avenue of educational development for realizing socialist modernization, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and a better life for the people. It is the inevitable path for a stable, strong, prosperous, and developing China, possessing distinct Chinese characteristics, strong vitality, great superiority, and a major contribution to the world.
Science and technology are the foundation of a country's strength, innovation is the soul of national progress, and education is the essential for a better life. Education is an important cornerstone of national rejuvenation and social progress; it is a "virtuous governance project" [9] that yields achievements today and benefits for a thousand years. When education flourishes, the country flourishes; when education is strong, the country is strong. We must strive with diligence and advance with fortitude on the road of Chinese-path socialist educational development. We must firm up our ideals and convictions, cultivate moral sentiment, nurture solid knowledge, and diligently practice a heart of benevolence. We must unswervingly use the latest achievements of the Party's innovative theories to foster virtue and soul through education, guiding young students to always listen to the Party and follow the Party, becoming useful talents and pillars of the nation who can be of great use and shoulder heavy responsibilities in modernization, dedicated to serving the country and contributing to the people.