III. Adherence to reform and innovation and injecting vigor and vitality to the education development

Systematic designing was enhanced to promote comprehensive reform. The implementation of the 20 key reform programs of critical importance was organized at the national level. The 425 reform projects in important areas and in key links were carried out as pilot projects by provincial governments and/or relevant authorities. Encouragement and support were given to all local governments and education institutions to take bold experiments in line with the spirits of the National Outline. During the past two years, such pilot projects have been carried out on a large scale and progresses have been achieved in certain key areas. Firstly, the reform on talent training system has been deepened. In basic education, teaching reform was undertaken in full operation, by setting up a new curriculum system based on the requirements of quality-oriented education, and by vigorously advocating teaching methods of heuristic teaching, inquiry learning, open classroom and participatory teaching. In vocational education, efforts were made to energetically promote talent training models of integration of school learning and workplace practice, school-enterprise cooperation and the on-the-job internship. Up to 600 vocational education groups were formed, covering 50% of secondary vocational schools and 90% of higher vocational institutions. In higher education, a pilot program was launched on training outstanding students excelling in basic disciplines, and a number of other programs on training excellent engineers, doctors, legal professionals, agricultural and forestry talents. The Action Plan on Collaboration between Research Institutes and Education institutions in Talent Training was also launched and put into implementation. Some 17 higher education institutions were selected to carry out pilot projects for comprehensive reform of colleges. Secondly, reform was taken in the examination and admission system. The National Steering Committee on Educational Examinations was set up to conduct investigation and formulation of the reform plan and to provide guidance on pilot projects. The General Office of the State Council forwarded the Opinions on Granting Access to the Children of Rural Migrant Workers Finishing Compulsory Education at Places of Residence to Examinations for Further Education formulated by the Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities. And in principle, all provincial governments will, within the year, release their respective specific program on granting access to the children of rural migrant workers to take examination for further education. Thirdly, a modern university system with Chinese characteristics is taking shape. The Interim Measures for Formulating Higher Education Institution Charters and the Regulations on Faculty and Staff Representative Congress of Higher Education Institutions were issued. Research was taken to formulate the Implementation Outlines on Rule of Law of Higher Education Institutions. Public selection of two university presidents for Northeast Normal University and Southwestern University of Finance and Economics and chief accountants for six universities including Southeast University were carried out. Fourthly, reform on schooling system was deepened. The Ministry of Education has set up an office for non-public education, and issued policies on encouraging and directing non-public investment in education. In year 2011, 5 non-public higher education institutions were approved to undertake pilot projects in offering graduate programs granting master degrees. The National Open University, Beijing Open University and Shanghai Open University were officially inaugurated. Fifthly, reform on the management system was accelerated. Guided by the requirements on building up the modern vocational education system and life-long learning system, the Department of Vocational and Adult education of the Ministry of Education took charge of the administration of higher vocational and diploma education, distance and continuing education. A new Department of Comprehensive Reform was set up to coordinate issues related to education reform. The coordinating power of provincial governments on education was also strengthened. Sixthly, opening-up of education was further expanded. The national people-to-people exchange mechanism with the USA, the Russian Federation, the EU and the UK were established successively. By end of 2011, 358 Confucius Institutes and 500 Confucius Classrooms have been established in 105 countries and regions. Shanghai New York University, a joint effort between East China Normal University and New York University, and Wenzhou Kean University between Wenzhou University and Kean University were both granted official approval. Up to date, close to 1500 Chinese-foreign joint-run institutions and projects have been established.