BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- As China is striving to realize the Chinese dream, basic education can play a decisive role.
Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the biggest dream of the nation in modern times. It is not only a dream of the nation, but the dream of all people.
As it will take a long time to make the dream come true, education, especially basic education targeting the majority of the population, is key to that cause.
Today's primary school students will become the main force to build the country. Basic education can determine whether the Chinese dream is achieved or not.
Education is a basic right of the people. With education, individuals are capable of living better lives and achieving more.
However, access to education is not equal, and individuals with different qualities of basic education have different starting points in achieving their own dreams.
As for a country, basic education is crucial for cultivating talent. It is fundamental for all aspects of the country.
Investment in China is high and science and technology expanding at high speed. Chinese universities and colleges are making great progress in education and research quality.
However, as people get richer, basic education in primary and middle schools is receiving more and more attention, especially in cities and developed areas. While in the vast rural, mountainous and less-developed areas, primary and middle schools lack of all kinds of resources, including teachers, materials and funds, and the quality of education lags far behind of that of schools in cities. For this reason, students in rural areas have difficulty competing in college entrance exams.
Equity in education is crucial to build a less polarized society. That's why Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed the importance of the basic education when he visited his Alma Mater.
Ahead of Saturday's Teachers' Day, Xi went to Beijing Bayi School, where he spent his elementary and junior high school years. Xi said the benefits of development in education must be made available to all Chinese.
The distribution of resources should be optimized so that there is no difference in education quality between schools in cities and rural areas, Xi said.
"We must stop poverty from being passed on to future generations. Every child should be confident in themselves and their future," he said.
