刘延东副总理：让农村孩子接受更好的义务教育（中英对照）

第四，提高农村义务教育质量

IV. We should continue to improve the quality of rural compulsory education

提高农村义务教育质量的根本在于遵循教育规律，全面实施素质教育。就是要做到育人为本、立德树人，增强学生的社会责任感；就是要鼓励实践、激发创新，改变重知识传授、轻能力培养的状况；就是要尊重个性、因材施教，不放弃每一个孩子，让学生健康活泼、全面发展。在农村学校推进素质教育，要结合实际，扬长避短，探索多样模式，走出一条符合农村孩子成长特点的质量提升、内涵发展的新路。

The key to improving the quality of compulsory education in rural areas lies in showing respect for the essence of education and taking comprehensive steps to promote the development of all-round education. This comes down to three aspects: First, we must ensure that the cultivation of people and the cultivation of moral integrity come first, so as to establish a strong sense of social responsibility in our students; second, we should encourage participation in practical activities and stimulate creativity among students, so as to address a situation in which too much emphasis is placed on the imparting of knowledge, and too little is placed on the cultivation of ability; and third, we should respect the unique personalities of each individual student, apply different techniques for different students, and ensure that students are able to grow in a healthy and well-rounded manner, being sure never to give up on a single child. In setting out to promote all-round education in rural areas, we need to take local realities into consideration, play to local strengths, and experiment with a diverse range of implementation models. By doing so, we will strive to develop a new approach to raising the quality and expanding the depth of rural education, one that is tailored specifically to the traits of children in rural areas.

一是大力开展“中国梦”主题教育活动。“中国梦”主题教育活动已在教育系统率先开展，要结合不同年龄段孩子的特点，把“中国梦”教育引向深入，引导孩子们把个人梦融入国家梦、民族梦，树立国家好、民族好、大家才会好的思想。农村学校更应从自身特点出发，让孩子们从家乡的变化中、从党和政府对农村孩子的关怀中，培养爱家乡爱祖国的情怀，深入理解“中国道路”。要以生动活泼的方式，普及中华优秀传统文化，阐述改革开放的时代精神，加强社会主义核心价值观教育，让孩子们自觉传承“中国精神”。要激励孩子把理想抱负化为实际行动，励志图强、艰苦奋斗、成才报国，共同凝聚“中国力量”。让每个孩子共同享有人生出彩的机会，共同享有梦想成真的机会，共同享有同祖国和时代一起成长与进步的机会。

First, we should launch activities themed around the “Chinese Dream.” Education has been the first field to see the launch of activities themed around the “Chinese Dream.” Taking into consideration the traits of children at different ages, we need to deepen education related to the “Chinese Dream,” guide children in incorporating their own dreams into the dreams of the country and people, and help them to establish the notion that only when the country and nation are well off can everybody be well off. Rural schools should take advantage of their own conditions, helping children to foster love for their hometown and their motherland, as well as a deep understanding of the “Chinese Road,” by showing them the changes that have taken place in their hometown, and making them aware that the Party and government care for them. In addition, we should make China’s fine traditional culture known to all students in an active and vivid fashion, explain the contemporary spirit of reform and opening up, and step up our efforts to teach core socialist values, thereby allowing school children to consciously embrace and carry forward the “Chinese spirit.” We should encourage children to fulfill their ideals through their own actions, and inspire them to work hard and repay the country with their talents, so that they may come together to form “China strength.” We should ensure that every child has the opportunity to lead a fantastic life, to fulfill their dreams, and to grow and progress along with their motherland and the times.

二是按照能力为重的要求深化课程和教学改革。义务教育阶段是人的品格、个性和创造力形成的最重要阶段。国家规定的课程要确保开足开好，不能降标准、打折扣。在此基础上，突出教学方法创新，增强教学的针对性实效性和吸引力感染力，提高课堂教学效果，保护好培养好学生的好奇心、求知欲、想象力。各地要根据当地自然和人文资源，建立一批有特色的社会实践基地，开发富有乡村特色的地方课程和学校课程，延伸学习的“第二课堂”。要积极创造条件，让农村孩子到博物馆、艺术馆、科技馆开拓视野，与城市孩子结对交流，在社会交往和适应能力上得到更多的锻炼。

Second, we need to continue with curriculum and teaching reforms, placing the focus on cultivating the abilities of students. Compulsory education is a vital stage in the formation of one’s character, personality, and creativity. Therefore, we must ensure that all subjects stipulated by the government are taught in full with no compromise in quality. On this basis, we should place an emphasis on the exploration of new teaching methods which are able to make teaching more targeted, more effective, and more appealing, which give full play to the role of classroom teaching, and which not only cultivate but also protect the curiosity, desire for knowledge, and imagination of students. Local governments should make full use of the natural and cultural resources in their localities to develop social activity centers for students and introduce courses that boast rural features, thereby taking learning beyond the classroom. In addition, we should provide rural students with more opportunities to visit museums, art galleries, and science and technology museums, and allow them to mix with students from urban areas. This will not only broaden their horizons, but will also allow them to develop their social skills and become more adept at adapting to unfamiliar surroundings.

三是加强农村学校的体育和艺术教育。要强化学生的体育、科学、艺术教育，提高科学素质，培养审美情趣和艺术修养。现在，青少年体质下滑的问题依然严峻，体育仍是学校教育的一块短板。实现“健康中国”必须从孩子抓起。要开展符合农村特点的体育活动，把体育课真正还给学生，让学生动起来、跑起来。教育部门与卫生部门要加强协作，在农村中小学开展定期体检，建立学生健康与体能监测档案。艺术教育薄弱的问题在农村学校还比较普遍，要统筹区域内乡土文化、民间艺术、民族文化遗产等资源，鼓励教师走教和兼职，探索简便实用的艺术教育模式，培养学生艺术爱好和艺术素养。要加强体育、艺术类教师的培养培训，调动社会支教的积极性，动员退休教师、大学生志愿者、民族民间艺人等到农村学校支教，多种形式扩大农村体育、艺术教育资源。

Third, we need to enhance physical education and art teaching in rural schools. Efforts must be made to enhance physical education, science, and art teaching in rural schools, with a view to raising the scientific knowledge, aesthetic taste, and artistic attainment of rural students. Physical education is still insufficient in schools, with declining physical fitness among students still being a serious problem. Therefore, if we are to realize our goal of a “healthy China,” we must start by improving the physical fitness of children. By organizing sporting activities that match rural conditions, we need to give PE classes back to students, and encourage participation in physical activities. Education and health departments should step up their collaboration by arranging routine physical examinations in rural primary and junior middle schools and keeping records to monitor the health and fitness of rural students. Art education is still generally lacking in rural schools. Therefore, by making full use of local culture, folk arts, and national cultural heritage, we should encourage teachers to teach at multiple schools and take on extra classes in their free time, and develop simple but effective teaching models that are able to foster students’ interest and attainment in art. At the same time, we should train more art and PE teachers, mobilize people from various social sectors to engage in teaching, encourage retired teachers, student volunteers, and folk artists to teach in rural schools, and adopt various means of increasing PE and art resources in rural schools.

第五，把营养改善计划这项民心工程办好

V. We need to properly implement the plan to improve the nutrition of rural students

实施营养改善计划，是中央教育惠民的一项重大决策，启动一年多来取得了明显成效。目前，国家试点已覆盖699个集中连片特困县（含新疆生产建设兵团19个团场）、近10万所学校，惠及2300万学生，中央财政已累计投入550亿元。同时，还有15个省份481个县开展了地方试点，覆盖3万多所学校，惠及800多万学生。统算起来，全国有超过三分之一的县实施了营养改善计划，超过四分之一的农村义务教育学生享受营养补助政策。如此大规模对学生营养进行科学干预，在我国历史上是空前的。世界银行、联合国世界粮食计划署和儿童发展伙伴组织联合考察后给予高度评价，一致认为中国经验值得其他国家学习与借鉴。

The plan to improve the nutrition of rural students is a major public welfare policy that the central government has introduced in education. Since being launched more than a year ago, the plan has brought about notable results. So far, the central government has devoted 55 billion yuan to trial schemes covering almost 100,000 schools in 699 poverty-stricken counties (including 19 county-level regiment-farms administered by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps). The number of students that have benefited from the scheme stands at 23 million. In addition, 15 provincial governments have launched their own trial nutritional schemes in over 30,000 schools covering 481 counties, coming to the benefit of more than 8 million students. This means that nutritional schemes for rural students are now being implemented in over one third of China’s counties, with over one quarter of the country’s rural students enjoying subsidies for better nourishment. At no time in Chinese history has planned intervention to improve student nutrition been carried out on such a scale. The World Bank, the World Food Program, and Partnership for Child Development rated the plan highly after conducting a joint survey, agreeing unanimously that other countries can learn from China’s experiences.

营养改善计划从最贫困地区起步，是一件好事。好就好在计划内容好、起点选择好，抓在了关键处，抓住了薄弱点。但这也是一件难事，难就难在试点集中在困难地区，699个县都在中西部，有368个民族县、431个国家级贫困县、54个边境县，贫困面大、贫困程度深。难就难在基础薄弱，不少学校交通闭塞，食品采购困难，供餐条件简陋。难还难在好事如何可持续，这不是一朝一夕的事，将来还要扩大覆盖面，必须持之以恒，越办越好。

It is a good thing that our plan to improve student nutrition has been launched in the country’s most poverty-stricken areas first. This is because the plan has been formulated well, setting a good standard, addressing the crux of the problem, and taking target at the weakest areas. However, there are also difficulties involved in introducing this plan in the country’s most poverty-stricken areas. This is because all 699 of the counties involved in the trials are located in central and western China, with 368 being ethnic minority counties, 431 being national-level poverty-stricken counties, and 54 being border counties. These are all counties that feature high levels of poverty over an extended area. Moreover, these areas have weak infrastructure, with many schools being located in areas that are difficult to access. This makes it difficult for schools to purchase food. In addition, many schools are poorly equipped to provide meals for students. Another difficulty is the issue of how we can keep this scheme going. This is not a one-off; it is a scheme that must be expanded in the future, committed to on a long-term basis, and improved constantly.

孩子是国家和民族的未来，孩子吃好了，政府才能安心，社会才能放心。实施农村学生营养改善计划中央是下了决心的，要帮就先帮最困难的群体，要做就先做最紧迫的事情，再难也要办好。现在少数地方在实施中出现一些问题，如简单化操作、供餐模式单一、地方资金不配套、管理跟不上、食品安全事件时有发生等，这些问题虽是局部性的，但决不能掉以轻心。各地各部门要精细化管理，把好事办好。一要确保营养改善。创新思路，就地取材，因地制宜选择供餐模式，确有需要又有条件的地方可以逐步以食堂供餐替代校外供餐。食堂建设要与学校标准化建设结合起来，实用即可。二要保障食品安全。营养改善计划环节多、链条长，从农田到餐桌，监管难度大，各方面一定要慎之又慎，层层把关，坚决防止重大食物中毒事件的发生。哪个环节出了问题，都要追究责任。三要强化资金安全。资金要严格落实专款专用，严禁挪作他用。要做“加法”不能做“减法”，原先地方政府实施的政策性补助要衔接好，应由家长合理负担的部分不能撤出，避免挤出效应。四要坚持阳光操作。透明公开是计划实施的硬要求，要纳入当地政务公开范畴，便于群众知晓和社会监督，促进营养改善计划廉洁运行。要加快建立实名制学生信息管理系统，全国联网，保证每一个该享受补助的学生不被遗漏，每一笔补助资金不被冒领。

Children are vital to the future of the country and the nation. Only when our children are able to eat well will the minds of the government and society be at ease. The central government is committed to improving the nutrition of rural students. In doing so, it will begin by helping those most in need, and by addressing the most pressing matters, no matter how difficult this may be. However, there have been some problems in the implementation of the plan in a small number of areas. These problems include perfunctory operation, a lack of modes for meal provision, insufficient supporting funds from local governments, backward management, and food safety incidents. Though these are only isolated cases, they cannot be neglected. Therefore, local governments and the relevant departments must refine their management in order to ensure that the scheme is a success. First, we must ensure that student nutrition is improved. We should adopt new ways of thinking, make use of local ingredients, and choose meal provision modes in line with local conditions. At the same time, where conditions permit, and where there is an actual need to do so, school canteens may be built as an alternative to sourcing meals externally. The building of canteens should be tied into the standardization of schools, and canteens should be built according to practical standards. Second, we must ensure food safety. The plan to improve the nutrition of rural students is a long chain consisting of many links spanning from the farm to the dinner table. As such, monitoring this process can be very difficult. Therefore, all participants must be both prudent and strict in their implementation of the scheme, and take resolute action to prevent major cases of food poisoning. In cases where a problem does occur in a certain link in the chain, those responsible will be held accountable. Third, we must guarantee the security of funds. We must strictly prohibit the appropriation of funds, so as to ensure that funds earmarked for the nutrition of rural students are used for that purpose alone. Moreover, we should ensure that funding is only allowed to increase, not decrease. Local governments should tie their existing subsidization policies in with the plan, and parents should still be required to cover a reasonable proportion of the cost, so as to prevent the crowding out effect. Fourth, we must remain committed to transparency. Transparency and openness are compulsory requirements for the implementation of the plan. Local governments are required to include the plan in the range of government affairs that they make public. This will aid the public in staying informed about and supervising the plan as it is implemented, which in turn will help to prevent the occurrence of corruption. In addition, we should work faster to establish a nationwide student information management system, so as to ensure that no students are left out by the plan, and that no subsidies are claimed fraudulently.

中央在集中连片贫困地区实施这个计划只是起步。希望各地就义务教育学生的营养改善开展试点，逐步扩大范围，中央财政通过对农村、贫困地区安排奖补资金予以鼓励。要从各地实际出发，研究制定成本在政府、家庭、社会之间怎么分摊。教育部、财政部要会同有关省市，提出本届政府任内农村义务教育学生营养改善的具体工作方案。营养干预应逐步做到对义务教育阶段学生的全覆盖，针对学生的不同情况进行科学干预。如城市要针对营养过剩、小胖子多等问题，科学设计营养干预办法，使营养摄入与身体成长相协调。

The decision by the central government to launch this plan in regions where poverty exists over extended areas represents only an initial step. We hope that local governments proceed with and gradually expand the scope of trial schemes to improve the nutrition of students attending compulsory education in their localities. In such cases, the central government will provide incentives in the form of reward funds for rural areas and poverty-stricken areas. In consideration of local conditions, local governments should formulate schemes for the sharing of costs between the government, households, and other sectors of society. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance should collaborate with the relevant provincial and municipal governments to draw up specific schemes for efforts to improve the nutrition of rural students in compulsory education during the term of the current government. Nutrition improvement schemes should gradually be expanded to cover all students in compulsory education. Moreover, these schemes should be tailored to students in different areas. For instance, in cities, rational nutrition schemes should be designed to address the problem of overnutrition and obesity, thereby ensuring that students receive the nutrition they need while they are growing.

第六，让农村优秀教师进得来、留得住、教得好

VI. We need to attract outstanding teachers to rural areas, keep them content in their jobs, and allow them to demonstrate their teaching skills

缩小城乡教育差距、提高农村教育水平，关键在教师。近几年，国家加大力度，吸引优秀人才到农村长期从教。但城乡教师队伍整体素质差距依然较大，优秀教师“稳”和“留”的问题一直困扰着农村学校。2012年国务院印发了《关于加强教师队伍建设的意见》，教育部等五部委也专门针对农村义务教育教师出台了文件，关键在于落到实处。

Teachers are the key to narrowing the urban-rural gap in education and improving the standard of education in rural areas. In recent years, the government has stepped up its efforts to encourage excellent teachers to take up long-term teaching positions in rural areas. However, there is still a considerable gap in the overall standard of teachers in urban and rural areas. Many rural schools still face the problem of keeping hold of excellent teachers. In response to these problems, the State Council issued the Guidelines on the Strengthening of the Teaching Workforce in the year 2012. At the same time, the Ministry of Education and four other departments have also promulgated documents pertaining to teachers in rural compulsory education. The key now is to ensure that these documents are properly implemented.

一要提高农村教师职业吸引力。坚持以事业留人、感情留人、适当的待遇留人，让更多的优秀教师扎根在农村。在工资待遇上，对农村教师要给予必要倾斜，把“不低于公务员平均工资水平”的要求落实到位，并逐步提高。在职务职称上，对长期在村小学和教学点任教的教师，给予特殊的制度安排，使他们有更多机会晋升高级职称。在住房公积金、社会保险和周转房上，要再做几件实事，为农村教师解决后顾之忧。2013年中央一号文件明确要求设立专项资金，对连片特困地区乡村学校和教学点的教师给予生活补助，教育部、财政部要抓紧拿出落实方案，争取从2013年秋季学期开始实施。

First, we should make teaching in rural schools more appealing. In working to keep teachers in their jobs, we should continue to emphasize teachers’ career devotion and their sense of belonging in addition to ensuring that they receive adequate benefits. On this basis, we should encourage more outstanding teachers to base themselves in rural areas. In terms of pay, we should tilt policy in favor of rural teachers, ensure that teacher salaries are no lower than the average salary of local public servants in the area in question, and continue to raise teacher salaries on a progressive basis. With regard to professional accreditation, we should develop special provisions for teachers who teach in rural primary schools and learning centers on a long terms basis, so as to give them a better chance of being awarded senior professional titles. In addition, we should adopt more solid measures with regard to housing funds, social insurance, and temporary housing in order to address the worries of rural teachers. The No.1 Decree issued by the CPC Central Committee in 2013 clearly demanded that special funds should be allocated to subsidize teachers in rural primary schools and learning centers located in regions where poverty exists over extended areas. Therefore, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance are required to formulate an implementation plan as soon as possible in order to ensure that this scheme is launched by the autumn term of 2013.

二要健全多渠道的师资补充机制。国家的免费师范生计划、国培计划、特岗计划要继续扩大规模，并支持鼓励地方实施相应项目，中央财政予以奖补。特岗计划服务期满后愿意留下的教师，要保证入编入岗。城乡教师校长轮岗交流要形成制度、扩大范围，城市名校要与薄弱学校结对子，鼓励建立学校联盟，探索集团化办学，提倡对口帮扶，实施学区化管理。

Second, we need to develop a multiple-channel mechanism for the supplementation of rural teachers. We should continue to expand the scope of our schemes to bolster the rural teaching workforce, such as the free tuition scheme for teacher-training students who assume rural teaching positions, the national plan to train primary and middle school teachers, and the scheme to place university graduates in special teaching positions in rural schools in western regions. In addition, we should also encourage local governments to launch corresponding schemes, with awards and subsidies from the central government budget. College students wishing to stay on as teachers in rural schools in western regions should be guaranteed an official teaching position. At the same time, we should also develop provisions for teacher and headmaster exchanges between urban and rural schools, and progressively expand the scale of these exchange activities. Renowned schools in urban areas should pair with weak schools. We should encourage the establishment of school alliances, explore the possibilities of running schools using a group model, and call for the provision of dedicated support. In addition, we should take measures to administer education resources on the basis of school districts.

三要加大教师培训力度。农村教师知识结构和教学能力不足，教学方法相对落后，科学、综合实践、信息技术、音体美等学科教师紧缺，是制约教育质量提高的瓶颈。教师培训要注重实效性和针对性，加强紧缺薄弱学科教师和民族地区双语教师培训，提高实施新课程的教学技能。2015年之前，所有农村教师要轮训一遍，让他们有机会开阔视野、更新教育理念。

Third, we should step up our efforts to train teachers. Bottlenecks hindering us in our attempts to raise the quality of rural education include the insufficient knowledge structures and teaching skills of rural teachers, backward teaching methods, as well as a lack of teachers in science, integrated activities, IT, music, PE, and art. Therefore, our initiatives in the training of teachers should be geared more towards responding to this situation and producing practical results. Specifically, we need to step up the training of teachers that are in short supply as well as bilingual teachers in ethnic minority areas, and enhance the ability of our teachers to implement the new curriculum. Moreover, we must ensure that all rural teachers undergo a round of teacher training by the year 2015, which will give them the opportunity to widen their vision and learn about new concepts in education.

对一些地方存在的代课教师问题，2011年教育部等四部委下发了相关文件，但各地落实进度还不平衡，少数地方问题比较突出，群体性上访事件时有发生。教育部等相关部门要加强指导，各地要按照文件要求，把这件事妥善处理好。

[注：该部分未有英文译文。]

办好农村义务教育，要加强党对教育工作的领导，真正把教育放在优先发展的战略位置，牢固树立“再穷不能穷教育，再苦不能苦孩子”、“抓教育就是抓发展，投入教育就是投资未来”的思想。办好农村义务教育，是各级政府一项极为重要的职责，也是建设服务型政府需要加强的内容。要按照中央转变职能、转变作风的要求，健全政府统筹、齐抓共管的机制，教育、财政、发展改革、编制、人力资源社会保障等部门要履职尽责、密切配合，及时研究解决农村义务教育改革发展的重大问题和群众关心的热点问题。教育信息化和教育督导是加强农村义务教育的两大支撑保障。信息化对促进教育公平和提升教育质量具有重要意义，教育部要与工业和信息化部、电信企业加强合作，结合“三网融合”的进程，加快农村学校信息化步伐，建成网络条件下的基本教学环境和教育管理平台，实现“校校通、班班通”，使边远地区师生能够零距离使用优质教育资源，同时也使边远地区的教师通过观摩优质课程资料，提高自身的教学水平。2012年，国务院颁布了《教育督导条例》，成立了国务院教育督导委员会。各地要落实《教育督导条例》，健全督导机构，加强督学队伍建设。要将农村义务教育作为教育督导工作的优先和重点领域，及时督导重大问题，加强动态监测，建立问责机制，并纳入政府绩效考评体系，促进农村义务教育发展再上新台阶。

In setting out to make rural compulsory education a success, we must strengthen the leadership of the Party in our education initiatives, and ensure that education is genuinely treated as a developmental priority of strategic significance. We need to establish the notion that no matter how poor we are, we can never neglect education; and that no matter how tough things are, we can never allow children to suffer. At the same time, we need to realize that addressing education is the same as addressing development, and that spending in education is the same as investing in the future. Delivering a sound performance in the provision of compulsory education in rural areas is an extremely important duty of governments at all levels. This is also an area that needs to be strengthened in our efforts to make the government more service-oriented. In line with the requirements set forth by the central government on the transformation of government functions and work styles, we need to improve a mechanism whereby the government plays an overall coordinating role while the various departments engage in joint administration. Departments in charge of education, finance, development and reform, staffing, and human resources and social security should fulfill their respective duties, cooperate with each other, and promptly solve major issues and major concerns of the public pertaining to the reform and development of rural compulsory education. The application of IT and the carrying out of inspections and oversight represent two major supporting foundations for the development of compulsory education in rural areas. The application of IT has an important role to play in promoting fairness and raising the quality of education. Therefore, the Ministry of Education should strengthen its cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as well as telecommunications enterprises. Taking advantage of the integration of telecommunication networks, cable television networks, and the Internet, it should accelerate the application of IT in rural schools, and establish a basic, Internet-enabled teaching environment and a platform for education management. In this way, schools and classes will be able to communicate with one another over the Internet. Moreover, teachers and students in remote border areas will be able to access quality education resources, and teachers in these areas will also be able to hone their teaching skills by observing excellent teaching materials online. In 2012, the State Council issued the Regulations on Inspections and Oversight in Education, and set up a commission on education inspection and oversight. Local governments are required to fully implement the Regulations on Inspections and Oversight in Education, bolster inspection organizations, and assemble strong teams of inspectors. They should identify compulsory education in rural areas as the priority area for inspection, promptly oversee the handling of major issues, strengthen dynamic monitoring, establish accountability systems, and incorporate the inspection and oversight of education into government performance appraisals. By taking these initiatives, we will be able to promote new advances in the development of rural compulsory education.

办好农村义务教育，影响深远，责任重如泰山。我们要在以习近平同志为总书记的党中央坚强领导下，积极进取，扎实工作，为实现亿万农村孩子的人生梦想、实现中华民族伟大复兴的“中国梦”作出新的贡献！

The sound provision of compulsory education in rural areas is an endeavor of great significance and a task of huge responsibility. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, with Xi Jinping as the General Secretary, we must forge ahead proactively, work in a pragmatic fashion, and continue to make new contributions so that the dreams of hundreds of millions of rural children may be fulfilled, and the “Chinese dream” of national rejuvenation may be realized.