Chinese President Hu Jintao has urged the Communist Party of China and the government to give priority to education in their work, in order to push forward socialist modernization and achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday issued the full text of President Hu's speech on the country's education cause, which was made during a high-profile work conference on national education held in Beijing on July 13.

In the speech, President Hu said education is the cornerstone of national rejuvenation and social progress, and the basic means to improve all-round development of individuals.

He said authorities should be innovative when deepening education reform and enhancing international education cooperation, and should promote education equality by protecting citizens' lawful rights to education, supporting those in need, and promoting balanced education development between different regions and between urban and rural areas.

China's National Plan for Medium and Long-term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020) should be fully carried out, Hu said, adding the whole society should be mobilized to support the country's education development.

President Hu said the government should expand education coverage across the country and strive for an equal and high-quality education system for all citizens.

Hu pointed out five objectives in promoting education development.

First, the education cause must be treated as a strategic mission and priority in the country's overall development plan.

Strategic priority should be given to education in the work of the Party and the government, he said, adding that financing and public resources should be allocated in favor of education and human resources development.

Hu pledged that the government will increase investment into education cause and realize a goal that 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) will be spent on education by 2012.

Second, the development of education cause should be human-oriented.

He said education reform and development should be student-oriented, and urged authorities to implement quality education, to hone the students' sense of responsibility, their innovative spirit, and their capacity to solve practical problems.

He also urged authorities to focus on the quality of education, and called for efforts to put together a contingent of enthusiastic and high-quality teachers.

Third, education reform should be deepened and educational ideas for cultivating talents should be upgraded.

Hu said governments should interfere less with decision-making and management of schools so that schools become less bureaucratic.

He suggested giving full play to the private sector to run educational institutions and to attach greater importance to vocational education.

Fourth, the Party and government should always promote fairness of educational opportunities and ensure that no child drops out schooling for financial reasons.

Fifth, government should increase the quality of education so as to cultivate more talents.

Hu stressed that all social circles should contribute to the development of education, and more educational resources should be channeled to underdeveloped areas.

He urged the deepening of curriculum reform so that students could develop in an all-around manner.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2010)