Making the Construction of Ideological and Political Courses the Top Priority in the Party’s Leadership over Education

Education is a major national and Party undertaking. As the political, strategic, and foundational construction of the educational enterprise, school ideological and political courses are the lifeline for implementing the Party’s educational policy and occupy an important position in the Party’s overall leadership over education. On the new journey of the New Era, it is necessary to comprehensively strengthen the Party’s leadership over the construction of ideological and political courses, always insist on placing the construction of school ideological and political courses in an important position in educational work, and continuously create a new situation for ideological and political education in the New Era. History and practice have proven that the fundamental characteristic and advantage of constructing ideological and political courses is adhering to the Party’s leadership; the understanding of the laws governing the construction of ideological and political courses is an important experience of the Party’s leadership over educational work; and properly handling a series of important relationships in promoting the reform and innovation of ideological and political courses is an important pathway for strengthening the Party’s leadership over educational work.

教育是国之大计、党之大计。学校思政课作为教育事业的政治性、战略性、基础性建设，是落实党的教育方针的生命线，在党对教育事业的全面领导中具有重要地位。新时代新征程，要全面加强党对思政课建设的领导，始终坚持把学校思政课建设放在教育工作的重要位置，不断开创新时代思政教育新局面。历史与实践证明，思政课建设的根本特色和优势是坚持党的领导；对思政课建设的规律性认识，是党领导教育工作的重要经验；处理好推动思政课改革创新的一系列重要关系，是加强党对教育工作领导的重要路径。

The Fundamental Characteristic and Advantage of Constructing Ideological and Political Courses Is Adhering to the Party’s Overall Leadership

思政课建设的根本特色和优势是坚持党的全面领导

Ideological and political theory courses are socialist ideological and political courses led by the Communist Party of China and guided by Marxist theory. Relying on a leadership system that commands the overall situation and coordinates all parties, the Communist Party of China implements the ideological leadership function and organizational effectiveness of an advanced party in all aspects and links of educational work, runs the Party’s educational policy through the entire process of constructing ideological and political courses, thus achieving the greatest advantage of constructing ideological and political courses and also forming the greatest characteristic based on its own national conditions.

思想政治理论课是中国共产党领导的以马克思主义理论为指导的社会主义思政课。中国共产党依托总揽全局、协调各方的领导制度体系，把先进性政党的思想引领功能和组织效能落实到教育工作各方面各环节，把党的教育方针贯穿于思政课建设实践的全过程，成就了思政课建设的最大优势，也形成了基于自己国情的最大特色。

First, in terms of educational direction, the construction of ideological and political courses places greater emphasis on serving the people and serving socialist modernization. The Communist Party of China is a service-oriented party whose fundamental purpose is to serve the people wholeheartedly. Ideological and political education in the New Era must adhere to the people-centered concept of carrying out education, give play to the basic function of improving students’ ideological and moral quality and scientific and cultural quality, and continuously meet the growing spiritual needs of the people, especially their ideological education needs. At the same time, the Party’s educational policy requires accurately grasping and serving the central tasks of the Party in the New Era. As a mission-oriented party, the mission of the Communist Party of China on the new journey of the New Era is to comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. The construction of ideological and political courses must fully adapt to the needs of modernization for cultivating various types of talents, serving the Communist Party of China’s governance of the country, serving the consolidation and development of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and serving reform and opening up and socialist modernization.

一是在教育方向上，思政课建设更加注重为人民服务和为社会主义现代化建设服务。中国共产党是以全心全意为人民服务为根本宗旨的服务型政党，新时代的思想政治教育要坚持以人民为中心开展教育的理念，发挥提高学生的思想道德素质和科学文化素质的基本功能，不断满足人民群众日益增长的精神需求特别是思想教育需求。同时，党的教育方针要求准确把握和服务于新时代党的中心任务。作为使命型政党，新时代新征程中国共产党的使命是以中国式现代化全面推进民族复兴伟业，思政课建设必须全面适应现代化建设对各类人才培养的需要，为中国共产党治国理政服务、为巩固和发展中国特色社会主义制度服务，为改革开放和社会主义现代化建设服务。

Second, in terms of educational goals, the construction of ideological and political courses places greater emphasis on the comprehensive development of people. The Communist Party of China is a learning-oriented and innovative party that insists on building the Party through ideology and strengthening the Party through theory, and always focuses the point of ideological and political education on people themselves. Striving to cultivate new generations capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation, and cultivating socialist builders and successors who are well-developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and labor-wise, are concrete manifestations in the construction of ideological and political courses of inheriting and developing the Marxist thought on the comprehensive development of people, adhering to the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, and the educational policy of putting moral education first. On the one hand, in terms of educational and training goals, it is necessary to use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge souls and educate people, promoting the enhancement of the “Four Confidences” among young students and their spirited and vigorous mental outlook. On the other hand, it requires ideological and political course teachers to have high character and strong ability, possessing the confidence and confidence to enjoy teaching, be good at teaching, and devote themselves to educating people.

二是在教育目标上，思政课建设更加注重人的全面发展。中国共产党是坚持思想建党、理论强党的学习型创新型政党，始终把思想政治教育的着眼点放在人本身。努力培养担当民族复兴重任的时代新人，培养德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人，是思政课建设中继承和发展马克思主义关于人的全面发展思想，坚持立德树人根本任务、德育为先教育方针的具体体现。一方面，在教育培养目标上，要用习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想铸魂育人，促进广大青少年学生增强“四个自信”、精神面貌奋发昂扬。另一方面，要求思政课教师品格高、能力强，具备乐教善教、潜心育人的信心底气。

Third, in terms of educational pathways, the construction of ideological and political courses places greater emphasis on the combination of education with productive labor and social practice. Adhering to a problem-oriented approach is an important ideological method and working method of our Party. Rooting education in China’s soil and combining it with productive labor and social practice is an important part of the Party’s educational policy in the New Era. The construction of ideological and political courses with Chinese characteristics particularly emphasizes the unity of ideological and political education with practicality, values the practicality of ideological and political courses, combines the small classroom of ideological and political courses with the big classroom of society, educates and guides students to establish lofty ideals and become strivers; values proceeding from reality, directly confronting various erroneous views and trends in life, and transmitting mainstream ideology in ideological confrontation; values the overall environment for constructing ideological and political courses, implements the concept of whole-staff, whole-process, and whole-dimension education, and creates a clean and upright ideological and political ecology in daily education management.

三是在教育途径上，思政课建设更加注重教育与生产劳动和社会实践相结合。坚持问题导向，是我们党重要的思想方法和工作方法。扎根中国大地办教育，同生产劳动和社会实践相结合，是党新时代教育方针的重要内容。中国特色思政课建设特别强调思想政治教育与实践性的统一，重视思政课的实践性，把思政小课堂同社会大课堂结合起来，教育引导学生树立远大理想，做奋斗者；重视从实际出发，直面生活中各种错误观点和思潮，在思想交锋中传导主流意识形态；重视思政课建设的整体环境，贯彻全员全程全方位育人理念，在日常教育管理中营造风清气正的思想政治生态。

Understanding the Laws Governing the Construction of Ideological and Political Courses Is an Important Experience of the Party’s Leadership over Educational Work

对思政课建设的规律性认识是党领导教育工作的重要经验

The Party’s educational policy is a summary of the Party’s experience in leading educational work, reflecting both the purpose and nature of the Party’s leadership over educational work and the inherent requirements of the educational enterprise led by the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the most fundamental thing in running ideological and political theory courses well is to comprehensively implement the Party’s educational policy and solve the fundamental question of what kind of people to cultivate, how to cultivate them, and for whom to cultivate them. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party has always insisted on placing the construction of school ideological and political courses as the top priority in educational work, comprehensively strengthened leadership over the construction of ideological and political courses, achieved great successes in constructing ideological and political courses, formed a series of understandings of the laws governing the construction of ideological and political courses, and enriched and developed the Party’s experience in leading educational work.

党的教育方针是党领导教育工作的经验总结，既体现党领导教育工作的目的性质，也体现党领导的教育事业的内在要求。习近平总书记指出，办好思想政治理论课，最根本的是要全面贯彻党的教育方针，解决好培养什么人、怎样培养人、为谁培养人这个根本问题。党的十八大以来，党始终坚持把学校思政课建设放在教育工作的重中之重，对思政课建设的领导全面加强，思政课建设取得巨大成就，形成了关于思政课建设的一系列规律性认识，丰富和发展了党领导教育工作的经验。

First, adhere to the guiding position of Marxism and study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Insist on advancing the construction of ideological and political courses in sync with the Party’s theoretical innovation and armed with it, build a curriculum and textbook system with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the core content, vigorously promote the construction of the discipline system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and deeply advance the integrated construction of ideological and political education in universities, middle schools, and primary schools. The theoretical innovation and armed with it must uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, using the world-renowned achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics as content support, and using fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture as the foundation of strength.

一是坚持马克思主义指导地位，学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想。坚持思政课建设与党的创新理论武装同步推进，构建以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为核心内容的课程教材体系，大力推进中国特色社会主义学科体系建设，深入推进大中小学思想政治教育一体化建设。创新理论武装要守正创新，以中国特色社会主义取得的举世瞩目成就为内容支撑，以中华优秀传统文化、革命文化和社会主义先进文化为力量根基。

Second, adhere to the socialist direction of running schools and implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. Ideological and political theory courses are key courses for implementing the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. It is necessary to use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge souls and educate people, guide students to enhance the “Four Confidences,” cultivate patriotism deeply, and consciously integrate patriotic feelings, aspirations to strengthen the country, and actions to serve the country into the struggle to uphold and develop the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, build a modern socialist country, and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, becoming new generations capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation, socialist builders, and successors.

二是坚持社会主义办学方向，落实立德树人的根本任务。思想政治理论课是落实立德树人根本任务的关键课程，要用习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想铸魂育人，引导学生增强“四个自信”，厚植爱国主义情怀，把爱国情、强国志、报国行自觉融入坚持和发展中国特色社会主义事业、建设社会主义现代化强国、实现中华民族伟大复兴的奋斗之中，成为担当民族复兴大任的时代新人、社会主义建设者和接班人。

Third, adhere to building a team of ideological and political course teachers who are politically strong, have deep feelings, new thinking, broad vision, strict self-discipline, and upright personality. The key to running ideological and political theory courses well lies in the teachers, and the key lies in giving full play to the teachers’ enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity. Ideological and political course teachers must be good at seeing problems from a political perspective, maintain feelings for the family and the country, learn dialectical materialism and historical materialism, have knowledge vision, international vision, and historical vision, consciously promote the main theme, and have upright personality, in order to guide students to “button the first button of life correctly.” [1]1 “Button the first button of life correctly” is a metaphor used by Xi Jinping, meaning that young people must establish correct values from the start, as the first button of a shirt, if buttoned wrong, will cause all subsequent buttons to be wrong.

三是坚持建设一支政治强、情怀深、思维新、视野广、自律严、人格正的思政课教师队伍。办好思想政治理论课关键在教师，关键在发挥教师的积极性、主动性、创造性。思政课教师要善于从政治上看问题，保持家国情怀，学会辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义，有知识视野、国际视野、历史视野，自觉弘扬主旋律，有堂堂正正的人格，才能引导学生“扣好人生第一粒扣子”。

Fourth, adhere to rooting education in China’s soil. In the long process of revolution, construction, and reform, the Communist Party of China has continuously deepened its understanding of the laws governing the governance of the Communist Party, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society, forged rich revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture, achieved great successes in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, provided an important foundation for the construction of ideological and political courses to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, and is the base of strength for the construction of ideological and political courses to implement the “Four Services” tasks. [2]2 The “Four Services” refers to serving the Communist Party of China’s governance of the country, serving the consolidation and development of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, serving reform and opening up and socialist modernization, and serving the people.

四是坚持扎根中国大地办教育。中国共产党在长期的革命、建设、改革进程中不断深化对共产党执政规律、社会主义建设规律、人类社会发展规律的认识，锻造出丰富的革命文化和社会主义先进文化，取得中国特色社会主义建设的伟大成就，为思政课建设守正创新提供了重要基础，是思政课建设落实“四个服务”任务的力量基点。

Fifth, adhere to establishing a work pattern of unified leadership by Party committees, joint management by the Party and government, respective responsibilities of relevant departments, and coordinated cooperation by the whole society. Party committees at all levels must place the construction of ideological and political theory courses on important agendas, grasp the prominent issues restricting the construction of ideological and political courses, take effective measures in work patterns, team building, support and guarantees, etc., and promote the formation of a good atmosphere in which the whole Party and the whole society strive to run ideological and political courses well, teachers seriously teach ideological and political courses well, and students actively learn ideological and political courses well.

五是坚持建立党委统一领导、党政齐抓共管、有关部门各负其责、全社会协同配合的工作格局。各级党委要把思想政治理论课建设摆上重要议程，抓住制约思政课建设的突出问题，在工作格局、队伍建设、支持保障等方面采取有效措施，推动形成全党全社会努力办好思政课、教师认真讲好思政课、学生积极学好思政课的良好氛围。

Promoting the Reform and Innovation of Ideological and Political Courses Is an Important Pathway for Strengthening the Party’s Leadership over Educational Work

推动思政课改革创新是加强党对教育工作领导的重要路径

Strengthening the Party’s leadership is the fundamental guarantee for doing a good job in constructing ideological and political courses. Deepening the reform and innovation of ideological and political courses is an important pathway for strengthening the Party’s leadership. Only by firmly grasping the lifeline of ideological and political education can it be ensured that the Party’s flag flies high on every front of the educational battlefield. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed promoting the reform and innovation of ideological and political theory courses by adhering to the methodological principle of “Eight Unifications.” [3]3 The “Eight Unifications” are a set of methodological principles for reforming ideological and political courses proposed by Xi Jinping, including unifying political and academic rationality, unifying value guidance and knowledge transmission, unifying theoretical teaching and practical education, unifying explicit education and implicit education, unifying problem-oriented and goal-oriented approaches, unifying teacher leadership and student subjectivity, unifying unified requirements and diverse forms, and unifying inheritance and innovation. Continuously enhance the ideological nature, theoretical nature, affinity, and pertinence of ideological and political courses, thereby continuously consolidating the ideological and political foundation of the Party’s leadership over educational work.

加强党的领导是做好思政课建设的根本保证。深化思政课改革创新是加强党的领导的重要路径。紧紧抓住思想政治教育工作这条生命线，才能确保党的旗帜在教育战线的每一块阵地高高飘扬。习近平总书记提出通过坚持“八个相统一”的方法论原则推动思想政治理论课改革创新。不断增强思政课的思想性、理论性和亲和力、针对性，进而不断夯实党对教育工作领导的思想政治基础。

First, adhere to the unity of political nature and scholarly rationality, transforming rationality into moral virtue. Noble moral virtue does not arise from nothing; it originates from thorough theoretical rationality. Respond to students with penetrating scholarly analysis, convince them with thorough theoretical reasoning, and guide them with the powerful force of truth.

一是坚持政治性和学理性相统一，化理性为德性。高尚德性不是凭空产生的，源自于彻底的理论性。要以透彻的学理分析回应学生，以彻底的思想理论说服学生，用真理的强大力量引导学生。

Second, adhere to the unity of value and knowledge, using knowledge to cultivate uprightness. There are no completely abstract ideals; people’s standpoints and viewpoints are merely the concentrated expression of the overall knowledge system. Value guidance must be embedded within the transmission of knowledge.

二是坚持价值性和知识性相统一，用知识涵养正气。没有完全抽象的理念理想，人的立场观点只是整体知识体系的集中体现，要寓价值观引导于知识传授之中。

Third, adhere to the unity of constructive and critical approaches, taking problems as the orientation, daring to struggle and being adept at struggle. Truth is not clarified without debate; true gold fears no fire. In transmitting mainstream ideology, one must directly confront various erroneous viewpoints and trends of thought.

三是坚持建设性和批判性相统一，以问题为导向，勇于斗争、善于斗争。真理不辩不明，真金不怕火炼。传导主流意识形态，要直面各种错误观点和思潮。

Fourth, adhere to the unity of theory and practice, integrating knowledge and action. Use the “grand ideological-political course” to expand a new pattern of comprehensive education, combining the “small classroom” of ideological-political courses with the “big classroom” of society. Emphasize the practicality of ideological-political courses, fully leverage the educational and motivational role of the great achievements of the New Era, enrich the teaching content of ideological-political courses, tell the stories of the New Era well, and educate and guide students to set lofty aspirations and become strivers.

四是坚持理论性和实践性相统一，知行合一。要以“大思政课”拓展全面育人新格局，把思政“小课堂”同社会“大课堂”结合起来，重视思政课的实践性，充分发挥新时代伟大成就的教育激励作用，丰富思政课教学内容，讲好新时代故事，教育引导学生立鸿鹄志，做奋斗者。

Fifth, adhere to the unity of uniformity and diversity, seeking truth from facts. Analyze specific problems in specific contexts. Implement unified requirements in teaching objectives, curriculum design, textbook use, and teaching management, while at the same time adapting measures to local conditions, to the times, and to individual students’ aptitudes.

五是坚持统一性和多样性相统一，实事求是。具体问题具体分析。落实教学目标、课程设置、教材使用、教学管理等方面的统一要求，同时因地制宜、因时制宜、因材施教。

Sixth, adhere to the unity of dominance and subjectivity, with confidence and self-reliance. Ideological-political course teaching cannot do without the dominance of the teacher, while at the same time intensifying research on students’ cognitive patterns and reception characteristics, giving play to students’ subjective role, and enabling them to achieve self-establishment and self-transcendence in ideological understanding.

六是坚持主导性和主体性相统一，自信自立。思政课教学离不开教师的主导，同时要加大对学生的认知规律和接受特点的研究，发挥学生主体性作用，实现思想认识上的自我确立、自我超越。

Seventh, adhere to the unity of indoctrination and inspiration, maintaining a sincere and respectful attitude. While educating students to accept knowledge with an honest and humble attitude, also emphasize inspirational education, guiding students to discover, analyze, and think about problems, and through continuous inspiration, let students naturally reach conclusions.

七是坚持灌输性和启发性相统一，保持诚敬之心。既要教育学生以老老实实的态度虚心接受知识，又注重启发性教育，引导学生发现问题、分析问题、思考问题，在不断启发中让学生水到渠成得出结论。

Eighth, adhere to the unity of explicit education and implicit education, establishing a systematic perspective. Ideological and political education does not exist in isolation; it is inseparable from various educational contents and even the overall educational work. Tap into the ideological and political education resources contained in other courses and teaching methods, achieving all-staff, whole-process, and all-round education.

八是坚持显性教育和隐性教育相统一，树立系统观念。思想政治教育不是独立的存在，与各种教育内容乃至整体教育工作密不可分。要挖掘其他课程和教学方式中蕴含的思想政治教育资源，实现全员全程全方位育人。

[The author is a full-time Deputy Secretary and Researcher of the Marxist Institute of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC (National Academy of Governance), and Secretary-General of the China Marxist Research Foundation.]

【作者系中共中央党校（国家行政学院）马克思主义学院专职副书记、研究员，中国马克思主义研究基金会秘书长】

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧