Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, stressed efforts to boost national education to facilitate the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xi made the remarks on Monday when presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Xi said boosting national education serves as a strategic precursor of building a great modern socialist country in all respects, an important support for achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and an effective means of promoting common prosperity for all.

Noting basic education is essential for the objective, Xi called for advancing high-quality development of preschool education and a balanced development of compulsory education between urban and rural areas.

Basic education should not only strengthen students' knowledge base, but also stimulate their interest in science and cultivate their exploratory and innovative thinking, Xi added.

He stressed accelerating the building of world-class universities and competitive disciplines with Chinese characteristics, enhancing scientific research and innovation that meet world's high-tech front and major national strategic needs, and constantly improving initial innovation capacity and talent training quality.

To tackle problems in key technologies, more efforts should be made to strengthen scientific and engineering education and the capability to independently cultivate top-notch innovative talents, Xi noted.

All mindsets and institutions that impede the high-quality development of education should be resolutely eliminated, he said, adding fairness must be taken into account when deepening reform in every aspects of education in order to narrow educational gap among different regions, schools and students.

Xi also called for vigorously cultivating teachers with high moral and profession and advocating a culture of respect for teachers to improve the status of teachers in the society, so that teaching become one of the most respected professions that attract talented people with enthusiasm.