In today’s talking points, China’s Ministry of Education has called for efforts to improve education in rural China, as well as signed agreements to regulate university recruitment. Guandong has asked for all students to complete compulsory education by the law, and Australia is looking at new English standards for international students enrolling in university.
More efforts called for to improve education in rural China
The Ministry of Education has called for more efforts to develop education in rural China.
According to Chen Baosheng, Education Minister of China, the quality of small rural schools and boarding schools should be raised. Chen also remarked that new plans on the distribution of rural schools are necessary.
Furthermore, projects should be made to improve the use of information technology, and the training of teachers in order for educational reform in rural China. Urban-rural development should be integrated as well, Chen urged.
The ministry, as a method to battle the nation’s poverty, has also pushed for efforts to decrease the drop-out rate in compulsory education.
Source: China Daily
International student standards in Australia
There are more than 400,000 international students enrolled in Australian universities, a third of which are Chinese. These figures of enrollment have generated close to $35 billion in 2018, making tertiary education Australia’s’ third biggest export.
Education Minister Dan Tehan has placed in new regulations to tighten language testing, and the Australian tertiary education system is looking to improve the well-being of international students.
The concern is that the lack of a sufficient language level is causing the attraction of high paying foreign students, impacting the industry negatively in the long term, as tertiary education is the key to economic and social progress.
Another concern is the well-being of foreign students, following the suicide of Chinese student Zhikai Liu. The coroner’s report has recommended more protection of the mental health and well-being of students. Tehan is considering programs to support this recommendation as well.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
Ministry of Education signs agreements to regulate university recruitment
In order to increase supervision over university recruitment, the Ministry of Education has signed agreements with provincial-level university recruitment monitors.
According to a statement on the ministry’s website, university recruitment officials are required to ensure transparency in enrollment processes and make more enrollment-relation information known. Regional regulations that have permitted “targeted recruitment” or lowered enrollment limits, which do not meet national requirements, have also been banned.
With the upcoming national college entrance examination, these agreements have also made clear of the responsibilities of provincial-level education and recruitment officials.
Source: China Daily
In Guangdong, education is a must
In Guangdong, education authorities are asking that children who aren’t in public schools, therefore, either homeschooled or attending private school, complete a compulsory education by the law. Most programs outside the governmental school system may meet the same criteria as the governmental school system in the required areas, however, the education authorities are worried that some schools aren’t sufficiently covering the areas that involve mathematics, languages, physical health, and sciences.
The Ministry of Education in April conducted a nationwide inspection to see if the private schools had full-time educational and training organization.
Zhu Chaozhou, the spokesman for the Guangdong Provincial Education Department, said: “Studying alone at home or in other institutes cannot ensure that children are getting the necessary and quality education.” However, Pan, a mother of an 8-year-old boy is not so concerned about her son’s education: “I am not worried about my son’s future, he knows Chinese characters and English as well.” She believes that students can receive a quality education in a variety of places and not just by government standards.
Source: China Daily