Xinjiang works vigorously to protect right to education for people of all ethnic groups

BEIJING, Aug. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A Report From GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE:

The Chinese government has shown strong support for Xinjiang's education in the past more than 50 years, bringing development outcomes to people of all ethnic groups in the autonomous region in a fairer way.

In 2020, Xinjiang's gross enrollment rate of preschools reached 98.19 percent; its retention rate of nine-year compulsory education hit 95.69 percent; its gross enrollment rate of high schools stood at 98.87 percent. The four prefectures in southern Xinjiang offer 15 years of free education from preschools to high schools.

As of 2020, Xinjiang had built 184 higher and secondary vocational schools, as well as 56 universities and colleges. Over 2.11 million students have graduated from these universities and colleges.

The education for people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang has reached its best level in history, from the perspectives of both the number of schools and enrollment.

"Xinjiang respects and protects the right of people of all ethnic groups to receive education in their own languages," said Gao Tongtong, researcher with the School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University.

Unswervingly advancing bilingual education, it has established and is improving the universal bilingual education system from kindergarten to the end of senior high school, Gao explained.

For instance, the number of bilingual classes of the Central Primary School of Toqquzaq township, Shufu County in Kashgar increased from 12 in the past to 15 in 2017.

Xinjiang has also vigorously developed vocational schools and training facilities and actively launched labor training and skill training sessions. According to Gao, during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, it offered vocational training of various types to nearly 6 million people, creating 387,200 jobs directly and 806,500 indirectly.

Gao believes education is closely related to whether a family can succeed and also decides the rise and fall of a country or a nation. The world today is still facing a severe education crisis. A 2022 UNESCO report said that 244 million children and youth between the ages of 6 and 18 worldwide were still out of school.

Therefore, countries should make more and bigger efforts to ensure that their people have access to education. They should bring the achievements of educational development to all people around the world through multilateral cooperation. In particular, developed countries should expand their educational aid for less developed countries.

SOURCE GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE