[All walks through the Two Sessions]  

The fundamental task of education is to cultivate morality and cultivate socialist builders and successors who are comprehensively developed in morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics and labor. Strong ideological and political leadership is the characteristic of a strong country in education with Chinese characteristics. This year's government work report proposes, "Accelerate the construction of a high-quality education system. Formulate and implement a three-year action plan to build a strong country in education. Comprehensively implement the new era moral education project and promote the integrated reform and innovation of ideological and political courses in colleges, middle schools and primary schools." This major strategic deployment reflects the common voice of the people across the country. Ideological and political education work should strengthen the awareness of innovation, enhance the leadership of ideological and political affairs, and strive to cultivate new people of the times who are responsible for the great responsibility of national rejuvenation.

To implement the project of cultivating morality and cultivating people in the new era, we must insist on the simultaneous advancement of ideological and political course construction with the Party’s innovative theories and arming, and accelerate the construction of a curriculum textbook system with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the core content. We must strive to use Chinese principles to summarize Chinese experience, elevate Chinese experience into Chinese theory, and then continue to integrate the Party’s innovative theories into the construction of ideological and political courses. At the same time, we must adhere to a systematic concept and promote the integrated reform and innovation of ideological and political courses in colleges, middle schools and primary schools.

Focus on using vivid practices and great achievements in the new era. We must attach great importance to the practicality of ideological and political courses, combine the small ideological and political classroom with the large social classroom, and educate and guide students to implement their life ambitions into down-to-earth practical actions. School ideological and political courses should enhance their persuasiveness, adhere to the unity of theoretical and practicality, and while explaining the basic theories thoroughly, appropriately increase the proportion of practical teaching.

Innovate the reasoning methods of ideological and political courses, so that thoughts and principles can moisten things and reach students' hearts silently. We must pay attention to methods and explain the principles deeply, thoroughly and vividly, so as to achieve the goal of communicating the soul, enlightening the mind, and inspiring fighting spirit. Teenagers have shallow social experience and are straightforward and persistent, and often like to "break the casserole to ask the end". Ideological and political teachers must always have a sense of awe of the classroom, always think about the ways of theoretical innovation, and constantly improve their theoretical literacy. They must practice the true ability of not being afraid of asking, not asking, and being happy when they see questions. They must use stories to illustrate the truth, use truth to enlighten the story, and strive to provide students with useful ideological inspiration.

Expand the space and positions of online education. At present, the Internet has become the forefront of ideological and political education. Promoting the high integration of the traditional advantages of ideological and political work with information technology and enhancing the sense of the times and attractiveness is an important task facing ideological and political education work to uphold the truth and innovate. Teenagers have active thinking and outstanding personalities, with many channels for obtaining information, wide sources and large traffic. Ideological and political educators should try every means to understand their ideological status, cognitive psychology, and acceptance habits in order to better match their theoretical needs; they should scientifically understand the laws of Internet communication, less flat-faced preaching, more sincere and friendly communication, and create a distinctive brand of online ideological and political education.

(Author: Sun Laibin, professor at the School of Marxism, Peking University)