Rural Education in China: Policy and Development (1978 - 2018)

This book reveals the policy changes and profound transformations in rural education in China over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up. The book emphasizes the need to accurately address the relationship between urban and rural educational development, adopt an integrated urban-rural education mindset, and establish a mechanism for promoting balanced development by linking urban and rural areas, advancing overall progress, and ensuring urban-rural integration. This will comprehensively revitalize rural education. We must treat the development of rural education as the most foundational livelihood project and regard promoting fairness and justice in urban-rural education as a long-term task, focusing on balance, strengthening the foundation, and addressing shortcomings. We must adhere to the rule of law in education, enhance and improve the leadership of the party and government over rural education, and correctly guide public opinion and manage societal mindset. We must strengthen research on rural education, make top-level designs for the future development of rural education, and inspire innovative vitality among grassroots educators, effectively conducting rural education modernization experiments to lay a solid foundation for achieving the fundamental modernization of socialism with Chinese characteristics.