China’s New National Curriculum Reform:Innovation,challenges and strategies

This paper presents systematically China’s New National Curriculum Reform(CNNCR).It covers the background,origin,essence,goals,features,evolvement,schedule,implementation,the alignment in primary,secondary and middle schools’curricula and inter-subjects,the outcomes and the challenges and strategies of CNNCR.

Human Capital Investment and an Analysis of Its Progressive Profit

Skilled labor force cultivated through putting in funds and time in their education are undoubtedly essential in the operation of sophisticated machines in production, but it is so also in the creation of new ideas and methods in production and other economic activities, and ultimately in the promotion of the progressive increase of material capital. Thus strengthening the investment of human capital and enriching the stock of human capital is of primary importance, especially for China, in the 21st century.

Moral education and values education in curriculum reform in China

In the new curriculum reform in China,moral education and values education have been defined from the angles of the integrity and conformity of curriculum functions.Accordingly,a new education concept based on complete/integral curriculum functions is established.By discussing the essences of the curriculum,the basis of moral and values education,integrated curriculum setting in instruction structure,the presence of emotional and attitudinal goals in the subject standards,and teaching methods,this text points out that this curriculum reform looks to moral and values education in schools.The reform also emphasizes and will guarantee moral and values education in schools.Finally,the article recommends to elementary and secondary schools the studies on moral education in class conducted by the Research Institute of Moral Education of Nanjing Normal University,one of the Key Bases for Humanities and Social Sciences Research for the Ministry of Education.

On the development of citizenship education outlook in China

A sourceidentifying and comparative study of the development of the outlook on citizenship education in China and the Western countries indicates that there emerges a tendency of similar orientations in terms of relations between citizens and the state and society,between citizens’rights and obligations and between citizenship education and moral education.At the same time,there also exists the possibility of mutual integration of the viewpoints and the ideas of Chinese traditional moral education in such aspects as subject basis,educational mechanism and values orientation.

Educational wisdom and intellectual teachers are called on by the times

Currently, there is lack of educational wisdom in classroom teaching. Educational wisdom is a kind of quality of good education, representing a free, harmonious, open and creative status of education. The educational wisdom of intellectual teachers is the outcome of the close integration of educational science and art. It is also the result of teachers’ long-term practice, reflections and the comprehensive expression of teachers’ capacities. The shackles of traditional teaching systems, the utilitarianism orientation of teaching reforms and educational research and the habitual mode of teachers’ practice have affected the formation of teachers’ educational wisdom. To get rid of the dilemma, it is necessary to reconsider the significance and the value of teaching, to show due concern with teachers’ practice, to weaken the utilitarianism orientation of teaching reforms and educational research and to arouse teachers’ professional feelings and enthusiasm for learning.

Balanced development of compulsory education:Cornerstone of education equity

Balanced development of compulsory education is not only the cornerstone of education equity,but also the fundamental part for realizing a harmonious society.There have been several achievements in balancing the development of compulsory education in China,such as narrowing the gaps in compulsory education between rural,urban,and other areas.However,the development of compulsory education is still confronted with several issues,including the gaps between rural and urban schools,the gaps between teacher’s situations in rural and urban area,higher drop-out rates of rural compulsory education than that of the national average level,etc.Based on the analysis of these issues and reasons,the suggestions for the policy-makers are as follows:(1)it must be further clarified that governments at all levels must take all responsibilities for the balanced development of compulsory education so as to integrate local authorities’input and the central government’s subsidies;(2)the allocation mechanism of resources for compulsory education should be set up with“qualitative and fair growth”as its aim;(3)The quality standard for compulsory education based on the national curriculum standard should be worked out for playing the role of quality inspection in the fair development of compulsory education,and a relevant system of responsibility should also be established;(4)A national unified card for compulsory education should be adopted,which would help abolish extra fees for non-permanent-resident students receiving compulsory education in other places and(5)civilian-sponsored schools should be encouraged to offer compulsory education.