Unswervingly Follow the Socialist Education Development Path with Chinese Characteristics

The question of the banner and the path is the primary question concerning the success or failure of the Party’s cause. The doctrine is the banner; the doctrine is the direction. Direction determines the path; the path determines destiny. The banner and the path are the lifeblood of the Party. “Only the wearer knows if the shoes fit.” What kind of development path a country takes depends crucially on whether this path can solve the historical tasks facing that country.

旗帜问题、道路问题是关系党的事业兴衰成败的第一位的问题。主义就是旗帜，主义就是方向；方向决定道路，道路决定命运；旗帜、道路是党的生命。“鞋子合不合脚，自己穿了才知道。”一个国家走什么样的发展道路，关键要看这条道路能否解决这个国家面临的历史性课题。

I. The Path of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Is a Broad Road to Creating a Better Life for the People and Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation

一、中国特色社会主义道路是创造人民美好生活、实现中华民族伟大复兴的康庄大道

A unique cultural tradition, historical destiny, and basic national conditions have determined that we must inevitably take a development path suited to our own characteristics for revolution, construction, and reform. In its century-long struggle, our Party has always adhered to proceeding from China’s national conditions, exploring and forming a correct path that conforms to China’s actual conditions. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Whether in revolution, construction, or reform, the path question is the most fundamental question. … The fundamental reason we have been able to create development achievements unprecedented in human history is that we have taken the correct path.” The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a broad road to creating a better life for the people and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This path has profound historical origins and broad practical foundations. It is a correct path proven by practice to suit China’s national conditions and conform to the laws of human social development. Not only is it correct and workable, but it can also surely be taken steadily and well, becoming ever brighter and broader. The “Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century” adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC [1]1 The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC was held in November 2021. It adopted the third historical resolution of the Party, summarizing the Party’s major achievements and historical experience over the past century. explicitly lists “upholding the Chinese path” as an important historical experience of the Party’s century-long struggle. The Resolution states: “Standing firmly on the Chinese land, inheriting Chinese civilization, and taking the correct path suited to China’s national conditions, the Party and the people have an incomparably broad stage, incomparably profound historical foundations, and incomparably strong forward-moving determination.” General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized: “No matter what storms we encounter, we must consistently adhere to the fundamental issue of upholding the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and never change course because of various noises and distractions.” History and facts have long proven: taking the old path of copying others, closing off, and becoming rigid is a dead end; taking the evil path of changing the banner, abandoning oneself, and giving up is likewise a dead end; only taking the correct path of self-confidence, self-reliance, upholding fundamental principles, and breaking new ground is the bright and broad road. We must maintain a clear head and strategic resolve, always firmly uphold the Four Confidences, especially confidence in the path, and with the determination not to change our aspirations or our path, firmly advance along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, achieving the state of “firm despite countless blows, let the winds blow from east, west, south, or north.” [2]2 This is a line from the poem “Bamboo and Stone” by the Qing dynasty painter and poet Zheng Xie (Zheng Banqiao), often quoted by Xi Jinping to express steadfastness in the face of adversity.

独特的文化传统、历史命运和基本国情，注定了我们必然走适合自己特点的革命、建设与改革的发展道路。我们党在百年奋斗中始终坚持从我国国情出发，探索并形成符合中国实际的正确道路。习近平总书记指出：“无论搞革命、搞建设、搞改革，道路问题都是最根本的问题。……我们能够创造出人类历史上前无古人的发展成就，走出了正确道路是根本原因。”中国特色社会主义道路是创造人民美好生活、实现中华民族伟大复兴的康庄大道。这条道路具有深厚的历史渊源和广泛的现实基础，是业已被实践所证明了的适合中国国情、符合人类社会发展规律的正确道路，不仅走得对、走得通，而且也一定能够走得稳、走得好、越走越光明、越走越宽阔。党的十九届六中全会通过的《中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议》明确把“坚持中国道路”作为党百年奋斗的一条重要历史经验。《决议》指出：“脚踏中华大地，传承中华文明，走符合中国国情的正确道路，党和人民就具有无比广阔的舞台，具有无比深厚的历史底蕴，具有无比强大的前进定力。”习近平总书记反复强调：“无论遇到什么风浪，在坚持中国特色社会主义道路这个根本问题上都要一以贯之，决不因各种杂音噪音而改弦更张。”历史和事实早已证明：走照抄照搬、封闭僵化的老路，是死路一条；走改旗易帜、自暴自弃的邪路，同样是死路一条；惟有走自信自强、守正创新的正路，才是光明大道、康庄大道。我们要保持清醒头脑、保持战略定力，始终坚定“四个自信”特别是道路自信，以志不改、道不变的决心，坚定沿着中国特色社会主义道路奋勇前进，做到“千磨万击还坚劲，任尔东西南北风”。

II. The Socialist Education Development Path with Chinese Characteristics Is the Only Way to Build a Strong Education System

二、中国特色社会主义教育发展道路是教育强国建设的必由之路

The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a system of paths composed of a series of specific paths, including the political development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the cultural development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the development path of people’s organizations with Chinese characteristics; it also includes the rule-of-law path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the independent innovation path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the urban development path with Chinese characteristics, the human rights development path with Chinese characteristics, the peaceful development path with Chinese characteristics, and the path of civilized development characterized by production development, affluent living, and a sound ecology, as well as the path of new industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics, and so on.

中国特色社会主义道路，是由一系列具体道路共同构成的道路体系，包括中国特色社会主义政治发展道路，中国特色社会主义文化发展道路，中国特色社会主义群团发展道路；也包括中国特色社会主义法治道路，中国特色社会主义自主创新道路，中国特色城市发展道路，中国人权发展道路，中国和平发展道路，以及生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明发展道路，中国特色社会主义新型工业化、信息化、城镇化、农业现代化道路，等等。

The major thesis of “the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics” was first explicitly proposed by Comrade Hu Jintao at the National Education Work Conference on July 13, 2010. At the National Education Conference on September 10, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: we must “uphold the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics … with the work objectives of uniting people’s hearts, perfecting character, developing human resources, cultivating talent, and benefiting the people, to cultivate builders and successors for socialism who are well-developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and in labor, accelerate the modernization of education, build a strong education system, and run education that satisfies the people.” On May 29 of this year, when presiding over the fifth group study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping again emphasized: “The socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics is completely correct.”

“中国特色社会主义教育发展道路”这一重大论断，是胡锦涛同志2010年7月13日在全国教育工作会议上首次明确提出的。习近平总书记2018年9月10日在全国教育大会上指出：要“坚持中国特色社会主义教育发展道路……以凝聚人心、完善人格、开发人力、培育人才、造福人民为工作目标，培养德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人，加快推进教育现代化、建设教育强国、办好人民满意的教育”。今年5月29日习近平总书记在主持中共中央政治局第五次集体学习时再次强调：“中国特色社会主义教育发展道路是完全正确的。”

Education determines humanity’s present and also determines humanity’s future; education concerns national development, concerns the nation’s future, and concerns the people’s happiness. Building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation ultimately depend on education, science and technology, and talent. Education is an undertaking of decisive significance for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In today’s world and contemporary China, no other undertaking influences or even determines the question of successors, influences or even determines the long-term stability and security of the country, and influences or even determines national rejuvenation and national rise as much as education does. The fundamental reason why China’s education cause has been able to achieve historic achievements in the New Era is the unswerving adherence to the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics; the winning formula for accelerating the building of a strong education system on the new journey is the unswerving adherence to the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics.

教育决定着人类的今天，也决定着人类的未来；教育事关国家发展、事关民族未来、事关人民幸福。强国建设、民族复兴，归根到底靠教育、靠科技、靠人才，教育是对中华民族伟大复兴具有决定性意义的事业。当今世界、当代中国，没有哪一项事业像教育这样影响甚至决定着接班人问题，影响甚至决定着国家长治久安，影响甚至决定着民族复兴和国家崛起。新时代我国教育事业之所以能够取得历史性成就，根本原因在于坚定不移走中国特色社会主义教育发展道路；新征程加快建设教育强国，制胜法宝在于坚定不移走好中国特色社会主义教育发展道路。

III. Comprehensively Grasp the Basic Connotation and Development Process of the Socialist Education Development Path with Chinese Characteristics

三、全面把握中国特色社会主义教育发展道路的基本内涵和发展历程

What exactly is the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics? As early as June 26, 2011, Comrade Yuan Guiren, then Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Minister of Education, first summarized the basic connotation of “the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics” in a speech titled “Advance Bravely Along the Socialist Education Development Path with Chinese Characteristics” at the National University Theoretical Seminar Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the CPC convened by the Ministry of Education. Comrade Yuan Guiren emphasized that the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics means, under the leadership of the CPC, adhering to the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the important thought of the Three Represents, thoroughly implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development, giving priority to education development, fully implementing the Party’s education policy, basing ourselves on the basic national conditions, following the laws of education, promoting the scientific development of the education cause, cultivating builders and successors for socialism who are well-developed morally, intellectually, physically, and aesthetically, running education that satisfies the people, and building a country rich in human resources. Comrade Yuan Guiren believed that this path follows the basic laws of education, embodies distinct Chinese characteristics, reflects the fundamental requirements of socialism, and has rich connotations and distinct features.

中国特色社会主义教育发展道路究竟是一条什么样的道路？早在2011年6月26日，时任教育部党组书记、部长袁贵仁同志在出席教育部召开的全国高校纪念中国共产党成立90周年理论研讨会并作题为“沿着中国特色社会主义教育发展道路奋勇前进”的讲话中首次概括了“中国特色社会主义教育发展道路”的基本内涵。袁贵仁同志强调，中国特色社会主义教育发展道路，就是在中国共产党领导下，坚持以马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想、邓小平理论和“三个代表”重要思想为指导，深入贯彻落实科学发展观，优先发展教育，全面贯彻党的教育方针，立足基本国情，遵循教育规律，推进教育事业科学发展，培养德智体美全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人，办好人民满意教育，建设人力资源强国。袁贵仁同志认为这条道路遵循了教育的基本规律，体现了鲜明的中国特色，反映了社会主义的根本要求，具有丰富内涵和鲜明特征。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping, based on the global development trends and the overall national development situation, focusing on the great dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, has delivered a series of important speeches on China’s education development, put forward a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new viewpoints, and formed Xi Jinping’s important expositions on education. Marked by the important speeches delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the National Education Conference personally presided over on September 10, 2018, and at the fifth group study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC on May 29, 2023, Xi Jinping’s important expositions on education have been further theorized and systematized, and the scientific connotation of the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics has become deeper, clearer, and more rigorous. Based on the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the National Education Conference, the book “Key Terms for Party Members and Cadres in the New Era (2019 Edition)” published by the Party Building Books Publishing House in April 2019 made a new summary and generalization of the basic connotation of “the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics”: upholding the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics means upholding the Party’s overall leadership over the education cause, upholding the cultivation of virtue and talent as the fundamental task, giving priority to the development of the education cause, upholding the socialist orientation in running schools, upholding the principle of running education rooted in China’s land, upholding a people-centered approach to developing education, upholding the deepening of education reform and innovation, upholding the service to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as the important mission of education, and upholding the building of the teaching force as foundational work. These “nine upholds” represent the deepening of the understanding of the laws of China’s education cause and are the scientific summary of the practical experience of the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.

党的十八大以来，习近平总书记立足世界发展大势和国家发展全局，着眼中华民族伟大复兴伟大梦想，围绕中国教育发展作出了一系列重要讲话，提出了一系列新理念新思想新观点，形成了习近平总书记关于教育的重要论述。以习近平总书记2018年9月10日亲自主持召开的全国教育大会和2023年5月29日主持中共中央政治局第五次集体学习时发表的重要讲话为标志，习近平总书记关于教育的重要论述进一步理论化、系统化，中国特色社会主义教育发展道路的科学内涵也更加深刻、更加清晰、更加严整。依据习近平总书记在全国教育大会上的发表的重要讲话，2019年4月党建读物出版社出版的《新时代党员干部学习关键词（2019版）》一书对“中国特色社会主义教育发展道路”的基本内涵作出新的概括与总结：坚持中国特色社会主义教育发展道路，就是坚持党对教育事业的全面领导，坚持把立德树人作为根本任务，坚持优先发展教育事业，坚持社会主义办学方向，坚持扎根中国大地办教育，坚持以人民为中心发展教育，坚持深化教育改革创新，坚持把服务中华民族伟大复兴作为教育的重要使命，坚持把教师队伍建设作为基础工作。这“九个坚持”是对我国教育事业规律性认识的不断深化，是新时代中国特色社会主义教育发展道路实践经验的科学总结。

The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a process of continuous development. Unswervingly upholding and advancing the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics in step with the times, and constantly enriching its practical, theoretical, national, and contemporary features, is the historic responsibility of us Communists. The socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics is likewise a process of continuous enrichment and development. In accordance with the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping when presiding over the fifth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee, the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics on the new journey of the New Era is to comprehensively implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adhere to taking education as a major national and Party plan, take the Party’s overall leadership over education as the fundamental guarantee, take fostering virtue and nurturing people as the fundamental task, take educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country as the fundamental goal, take serving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as an important mission, take the modernization of educational concepts, systems, institutions, content, methods, and governance as the basic pathway, take deepening reform and innovation as the clear orientation, take improving opening up to the outside world as the strategic policy, take high-quality development as the lifeline, take supporting and leading Chinese-path modernization as the core function, take cultivating generation after generation of socialist builders and successors who are well-developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and labor-wise, and cultivating generation after generation of pillars of talent who are capable of great use and able to shoulder heavy responsibilities in socialist modernization, ensuring that the Party’s cause and the construction of a strong socialist modernization country have successors, as the goal of building a strong educational country, adhere to giving priority to educational development, achieving self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, and driving development through talent, adhere to the socialist orientation in running schools, adhere to running education rooted in China’s soil, adhere to a people-centered approach to developing education, adhere to strengthening the construction of the teaching force as the most important foundational work, accelerate the modernization of education, accelerate the building of a strong educational country, use the power of education to thicken the foundation of people’s happiness, use the strength of education to consolidate the foundation of national prosperity, run education that satisfies the people, and provide strong support for comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The scientific connotation of this path is richer in content, more complete in elements, and clearer in problem orientation, goal orientation, and result orientation; it further fundamentally answers the fundamental questions of education—“what kind of people to cultivate, how to cultivate them, and for whom to cultivate them” and “what kind of education to run and how to run it”—as well as the core issue of building a strong educational country, and further elevates our understanding of the laws governing the development of socialist education to a new realm.

中国特色社会主义道路是一个不断发展的过程。毫不动摇坚持、与时俱进发展中国特色社会主义道路，不断丰富中国特色社会主义的实践特色、理论特色、民族特色、时代特色，是我们共产党人的历史重任。中国特色社会主义教育发展道路同样是一个不断丰富发展的过程。依据习近平总书记主持中共中央政治局第五次集体学习时发表的重要讲话，新时代新征程的中国特色社会主义教育发展道路，就是全面贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，坚持把教育作为国之大计、党之大计，以坚持党对教育事业的全面领导为根本保证，以立德树人为根本任务，以为党育人、为国育才为根本目标，以服务中华民族伟大复兴为重要使命，以教育理念、体系、制度、内容、方法、治理现代化为基本路径，以深化改革创新为鲜明导向，以完善对外开放为战略策略，以高质量发展为生命线，以支撑引领中国式现代化为核心功能，以培养一代又一代德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人，培养一代又一代在社会主义现代化建设中可堪大用、能担重任的栋梁之才，确保党的事业和社会主义现代化强国建设后继有人为建设教育强国的目的，坚持教育优先发展、科技自立自强、人才引领驱动，坚持社会主义办学方向，坚持扎根中国大地办教育，坚持以人民为中心发展教育，坚持把加强教师队伍建设作为最重要的基础工作，加快推进教育现代化，加快建设教育强国，以教育之力厚植人民幸福之本，以教育之强夯实国家富强之基，办好人民满意的教育，为全面推进中华民族伟大复兴提供有力支撑。这一道路的科学内涵内容更加丰富、要素更加齐全、问题导向目标导向结果导向更加鲜明，进一步从根本上回答了“培养什么人、怎样培养人、为谁培养人”“办什么样的教育、怎样办教育”这一教育的根本问题以及建设教育强国的核心课题，进一步提升了我们对社会主义教育发展规律认识的新境界。

Our country has a unique history, unique culture, and unique national conditions, which determine that we must follow our own path of educational development. The socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics was arduously pioneered during the new historical period of reform and opening up, and greatly developed and innovated in the New Era; it is also built on the profound foundation of the long-term struggles of our Chinese nation, our Party, and our people. This path profoundly answers a series of major questions of direction, fundamentality, and strategy in building a strong educational country, points the way forward for promoting the integrity and innovation of our country’s educational endeavors, and is the only correct path for developing the socialist educational cause. This path both upholds the basic principles of Marxist educational theory and reflects our country’s basic national conditions; both adheres to the basic principles of socialist education and draws on the outstanding achievements of human civilization; both inherits our country’s fine educational traditions and possesses distinct contemporary features. It is the correct path of educational development rooted in China’s soil, with a profound foundation in Chinese culture, embodying the advanced nature of scientific socialism, adapting to the requirements of our country’s and the times’ development and progress, and deeply supported and endorsed by the people. It is the broad avenue of educational development for realizing socialist modernization, realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and creating a better life for the people. It is the only path for educational development that stabilizes China, enriches China, prospers China, and develops China, with distinct Chinese characteristics, strong vitality, great superiority, and significant global contributions.

我国有独特的历史、独特的文化、独特的国情，决定了我们必须走自己的教育发展道路。中国特色社会主义教育发展道路是改革开放历史新时期所艰辛开创、新时代所极大发展创新的，也是建立在我们中华民族、我们党和人民长期奋斗深厚基础上的。这一道路深刻回答了教育强国建设中的一系列带有方向性、根本性、战略性的重大问题，为推进我国教育事业守正创新指明了前进方向，是发展社会主义教育事业的唯一正确道路。这一道路既坚持了马克思主义教育理论基本原理又体现了我国基本国情，既坚持社会主义教育的基本原则又借鉴人类文明优秀成果，既继承我国教育优良传统又具有鲜明的时代特征，是根植中国大地、具有深厚中华文化根基、体现科学社会主义的先进本质、适应我国和时代发展进步要求、深得人民支持拥护的教育发展正确道路，是实现社会主义现代化、实现中华民族伟大复兴、创造人民美好生活的教育发展康庄大道，是具有鲜明中国特色、强大生命力、巨大优越性、重大世界贡献的稳定中国、富强中国、繁荣中国、发展中国的教育发展必由之路。

Science and technology are the foundation of a nation’s strength, innovation is the soul of a nation’s progress, and education is the key to a better life. Education is an important cornerstone of national rejuvenation and social progress, a virtuous project that benefits the present and future generations; when education thrives, the nation thrives; when education is strong, the nation is strong. On the socialist education development path with Chinese characteristics, we must strive vigorously and march forward courageously, firm up our ideals and convictions, cultivate moral sentiment, enrich solid knowledge, and diligently cultivate a heart of benevolence. We must unremittingly use the latest achievements of the Party’s innovative theory to foster virtue, nurture people, and mold souls, guiding young students to always listen to the Party and follow the Party, becoming useful talents and pillars of talent capable of great use and able to shoulder heavy responsibilities in modernization, and unswervingly serving the country and dedicating themselves to the people.

科技是国家强盛之基,创新是民族进步之魂,教育是美好生活之要。教育是民族振兴、社会进步的重要基石，是功在当代、利在千秋的德政工程；教育兴则国家兴，教育强则国家强。我们要在中国特色社会主义教育发展道路上踔厉奋发、勇毅前行，坚定理想信念、陶冶道德情操、涵养扎实学识、勤修仁爱之心，坚持不懈用党的创新理论最新成果立德树人、铸魂育人，教育引导青年学生永远听党话、跟党走，成为现代化建设中可堪大用、能担重任的有用人才、栋梁之才，矢志不移报效国家、奉献人民。

【This article is a phased result of the National Social Science Fund Major Project “Research on the Century-Long Ethical Spirit of Chinese Communists” (21&ZD030), the Henan Province Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project “Research on General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Discourses on Jumping Out of the ‘Historical Cycle’” [3] (202

【本文系国家社科基金重大项目“中国共产党人百年伦理精神研究”（21&ZD030）、河南省哲社规划项目“习近平总书记关于跳出‘历史周期率’重要论述研究”（2022BDJ001）、河南省高等学校哲学社会科学基础研究重大项目“新时代爱国主义教育实现机制创新研究”（2021-JCZD-07）的阶段性成果】

(Author bios: Zhao Zengyan, Professor at Henan University of Economics and Law; Han Yunqing, Graduate Student at Henan University of Economics and Law)

（作者简介：赵增彦，河南财经政法大学教授；韩云晴，河南财经政法大学研究生）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心