China has developed the world's largest and highest-quality education system, Education Minister Huai Jinpeng said on Saturday at a press conference held on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing.

The country now operates 440,000 schools at various levels, serving 280 million students and employing 18.7 million teachers, Minister Huai said during the press conference focused on people's livelihood issues.

In basic education, Huai said China has made significant strides with the preschool gross enrollment rate climbing to 92.9%, up 28.4 percentage points from before the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and notably higher than the OECD average of 84.7%. Last year, a one-year free preschool policy benefited 14 million children across the country.

For compulsory education, the minister said that all 2,895 counties have achieved basic equilibrium, with 572 counties reaching high-quality equilibrium by the end of last year. Senior high school education has also expanded substantially, with the gross enrollment rate reaching 92%, seven percentage points higher than that in 2012. Last year alone, 1,300 senior high schools were built or renovated, adding 1.49 million student places.

China has strengthened its safety net for vulnerable students, with over 97% of children – an increase of 11.2 percentage points since 2020 – now joining their migrant parents to study in public schools or government-subsidized private schools in cities, Huai said, adding that the compulsory education enrollment rate for children with disabilities remains above 97%, and the national student financial aid system assists approximately 150 million students annually.

Chinese students have demonstrated strong performance in key international assessments, and the establishment of the International STEM Education Institute in Shanghai reflects global recognition of China's achievements in basic education and science education, the minister noted.

In higher education, Huai told reporters that China has cultivated 55 million talents during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The gross enrollment rate in higher education has more than doubled, jumping from under 30% before the 18th CPC National Congress to over 60% currently.

To meet growing public demand for quality higher education, Huai also said the country has expanded high-quality undergraduate programs, with "Double First-Class" universities increasing enrollment by 38,000 students. Over the past five years, China has added 18 new undergraduate universities and 70 vocational undergraduate institutions, creating 700,000 additional undergraduate places.

International cooperation has flourished, with more than 540 new Chinese-foreign cooperative education institutions and programs established at the undergraduate level or above, contributing 350,000 new degree opportunities, he added.

These achievements represent new breakthroughs in providing inclusive and high-quality public education services, Minister Huai said, noting that China's basic education accessibility and key indicators have comprehensively surpassed the average levels of upper-middle and high-income countries. Preschool and compulsory education have reached the average standards of high-income nations, he added.

What's next

Looking ahead, Huai outlined four priority tasks for building a fair and high-quality basic education system.

He said China will expand quality resources and promote fairness by increasing public kindergarten places, raising construction standards for compulsory education schools, and continuing to revitalize county high schools. A transparent enrollment campaign will be launched to ensure equal access for migrant children, left-behind children and children with disabilities.

Resource allocation will be optimized by addressing the peaking school-age population through increased student places in towns with net population inflows and underdeveloped areas, according to Huai. Pilot small-class teaching programs will be encouraged in capable areas, while the "Silver Age Action" teacher recruitment will be expanded, he added.

China will strengthen the teaching force through a teacher development action plan to attract outstanding talent to the profession, ensuring high-quality educators nurture the country's future generations, Huai noted.

Campus safety and standardized governance will be enhanced through a comprehensive campaign in collaboration with public security, health and market regulatory authorities. Huai stressed. He said the country will continue to rectify irregular practices in school operations, excessive study hours and bullying, while carrying out special governance initiatives for campus meals and supplementary materials, the minister said.