Empowering Up-and-Coming Scientists to Thrive!
3 April 2025 · Uncategorized ·
Source: · https://www.cnr.cn/tech/techgsrw/20250103/t20250103_527029626.shtml
Result
Does each ring in a tree trunk represent one year? Why is the water level at the edge of a cup higher than that in the middle? These small questions from daily life contain big scientific truths.
The foundational education stage is crucial for nurturing students' spirit of science, cultivating young people's interest and aspirations towards it. President Xi Jinping emphasized during his collective study session with members of the Political Bureau to add more science education under the 'double reduction' policy in schools. On December 25th, 2024, a national conference on advancing scientific education for primary and secondary school students was held in Beijing.
In recent years, various regions have taken proactive measures to promote significant progress and breakthroughs in scientific education through unconventional methods, accelerating the formation of effective models that foster patriotism towards science among young people as well as their curiosity, imagination, and desire to explore. A high-level government-driven mechanism for promoting scientific education has been established.
With rapid advancements in new rounds of technological revolutions, accelerated efforts toward building an educational powerhouse, and increasing societal consensus, primary and secondary school students are experiencing unprecedented opportunities since the joint issuance by 18 departments including the Ministry of Education on May 2023 regarding 'Opinions for Strengthening Scientific Education Work at Primary and Secondary Schools in a New Era.' Scientific education has been rapidly advancing with over 125 national experimental zones and nearly one thousand science education demonstration schools.
In the context of educational reform aimed to reduce excessive academic burdens ('double reduction'), efforts are underway to enhance scientific education:
- Deepening mandatory actions: Six national-level experimental areas and fifteen model schools have launched three-year action plans, allocating 520 million yuan in special funds and hiring over ten thousand full-time science teachers. They also integrate regional educational bases for science.
- Solidifying optional initiatives: Eleven regions and one hundred two schools are selected as provincial demonstration zones or schools to establish lists of issues, needs, reforms, responsibilities, promoting the expansion and quality improvement of scientific education at primary and secondary levels.
- Refining distinctive actions: Various areas have formed exemplary cases such as Wenzhou's youth family laboratories for science experiments.
The national team has been making continuous deployments. The Minister of Education Huai Jinqiang repeatedly emphasized strengthening educational support to technology and talent cultivation. On the same day that the conference was held, a National Committee on Scientific Education Expertise was established to provide professional guidance in setting standards, reviewing textbooks, implementing scientific education concepts.
With high-level government promotion, improvements in science education are rapidly accelerating.
Schools' teaching methods have been continuously improved:
- "How do we distinguish between male and female ginkgo trees?" Teachers guide students through exploration, identifying four differentiating methods.
- A student found a dead bird naturally; encouraged by the teacher to make it into a specimen. After half a month of effort, they successfully created one which was then preserved in school's biology lab.
- "Is market-available biodegradable plastic truly degradable? What is its degradation cycle?" Students questioned this and chemistry teachers designed an outdoor experiment setup for daily observation.
In the view of Wen Bo, Secretary-General at Huaxi High School in Chengdu: experiments are a powerful tool to enhance students' scientific literacy. Since becoming national demonstration schools for science education, they have proposed 'campus as laboratory' concept, initiating '72228 project', creating seven orchards and two centers (innovation center & reading center), two specialized labs (AI lab & digital lab) along with eight technological landscapes.
Shanghai Science Museum's director Ni Mingjing says: playing basketball, singing in a choir, doing housework or participating in science competitions can all stimulate children’s brains for innovation.
As innovative courses are introduced across the country, models to cultivate outstanding young talents have been developed and refined. Schools like No.101 High School Talent Academy, Beijing Institute of Technology Attached Middle School's Science & Engineering Class optimize educational pathways with interdisciplinary learning practices.
In Beijing, many schools enhance their curriculum systems by focusing on foundational science courses, distinctive programs, cross-disciplinary integration while establishing 741 technology clubs and pioneering STEM education. They also promote online-offline blended teaching methods to share teachers across classes or regions for joint scientific course studies.
With the 'double reduction' policy's emphasis on adding more science education, seeds of love for science are being sown widely.
Social collaboration frameworks have been increasingly perfected:
- During summer vacation 2024, Northwestern Polytechnical University’s outdoor helicopter pad and "Three-Aerospace" Art Museum became popular spots. Parents like Ms Zhang from Henan brought their children to see aircrafts and rockets in person.
Northwestern Polytechnic uses its strengths in aerospace education by creating a multi-level educational team involving alumni leaders, teachers, students; developing comprehensive science curricula for all age groups.
Institutions of higher learning, research institutes, museums are collaborating. The Chinese Academy of Sciences implements the 'Science with China' plan to convert popular scientific resources into educational ones.
Beijing integrates universities and high-tech enterprises as second classrooms while Guangdong promotes "bring in" and "go out" strategies for science teachers’ training.
Across the country, thousands of physical science museums are open. Programs like “Tiangong Classroom” have been launched to inspire students with a love for scientific exploration.
With collective efforts from all sectors, more young scientists will be empowered towards better futures.
Does each ring in a tree trunk represent one year? Why is the water level at the edge of a cup higher than that in the middle? These small questions from daily life contain big scientific truths.
The foundational education stage is crucial for nurturing students' spirit of science, cultivating young people's interest and aspirations towards it. President Xi Jinping emphasized during his collective study session with members of the Political Bureau to add more science education under the 'double reduction' policy in schools. On December 25th, 2024, a national conference on advancing scientific education for primary and secondary school students was held in Beijing.
In recent years, various regions have taken proactive measures to promote significant progress and breakthroughs in scientific education through unconventional methods, accelerating the formation of effective models that foster patriotism towards science among young people as well as their curiosity, imagination, and desire to explore. A high-level government-driven mechanism for promoting scientific education has been established.
With rapid advancements in new rounds of technological revolutions, accelerated efforts toward building an educational powerhouse, and increasing societal consensus, primary and secondary school students are experiencing unprecedented opportunities since the joint issuance by 18 departments including the Ministry of Education on May 2023 regarding 'Opinions for Strengthening Scientific Education Work at Primary and Secondary Schools in a New Era.' Scientific education has been rapidly advancing with over 125 national experimental zones and nearly one thousand science education demonstration schools.
In the context of educational reform aimed to reduce excessive academic burdens ('double reduction'), efforts are underway to enhance scientific education:
- Deepening mandatory actions: Six national-level experimental areas and fifteen model schools have launched three-year action plans, allocating 520 million yuan in special funds and hiring over ten thousand full-time science teachers. They also integrate regional educational bases for science.
- Solidifying optional initiatives: Eleven regions and one hundred two schools are selected as provincial demonstration zones or schools to establish lists of issues, needs, reforms, responsibilities, promoting the expansion and quality improvement of scientific education at primary and secondary levels.
- Refining distinctive actions: Various areas have formed exemplary cases such as Wenzhou's youth family laboratories for science experiments.
The national team has been making continuous deployments. The Minister of Education Huai Jinqiang repeatedly emphasized strengthening educational support to technology and talent cultivation. On the same day that the conference was held, a National Committee on Scientific Education Expertise was established to provide professional guidance in setting standards, reviewing textbooks, implementing scientific education concepts.
With high-level government promotion, improvements in science education are rapidly accelerating.
Schools' teaching methods have been continuously improved:
- "How do we distinguish between male and female ginkgo trees?" Teachers guide students through exploration, identifying four differentiating methods.
- A student found a dead bird naturally; encouraged by the teacher to make it into a specimen. After half a month of effort, they successfully created one which was then preserved in school's biology lab.
- "Is market-available biodegradable plastic truly degradable? What is its degradation cycle?" Students questioned this and chemistry teachers designed an outdoor experiment setup for daily observation.
In the view of Wen Bo, Secretary-General at Huaxi High School in Chengdu: experiments are a powerful tool to enhance students' scientific literacy. Since becoming national demonstration schools for science education, they have proposed 'campus as laboratory' concept, initiating '72228 project', creating seven orchards and two centers (innovation center & reading center), two specialized labs (AI lab & digital lab) along with eight technological landscapes.
Shanghai Science Museum's director Ni Mingjing says: playing basketball, singing in a choir, doing housework or participating in science competitions can all stimulate children’s brains for innovation.
As innovative courses are introduced across the country, models to cultivate outstanding young talents have been developed and refined. Schools like No.101 High School Talent Academy, Beijing Institute of Technology Attached Middle School's Science & Engineering Class optimize educational pathways with interdisciplinary learning practices.
In Beijing, many schools enhance their curriculum systems by focusing on foundational science courses, distinctive programs, cross-disciplinary integration while establishing 741 technology clubs and pioneering STEM education. They also promote online-offline blended teaching methods to share teachers across classes or regions for joint scientific course studies.
With the 'double reduction' policy's emphasis on adding more science education, seeds of love for science are being sown widely.
Social collaboration frameworks have been increasingly perfected:
- During summer vacation 2024, Northwestern Polytechnical University’s outdoor helicopter pad and "Three-Aerospace" Art Museum became popular spots. Parents like Ms Zhang from Henan brought their children to see aircrafts and rockets in person.
Northwestern Polytechnic uses its strengths in aerospace education by creating a multi-level educational team involving alumni leaders, teachers, students; developing comprehensive science curricula for all age groups.
Institutions of higher learning, research institutes, museums are collaborating. The Chinese Academy of Sciences implements the 'Science with China' plan to convert popular scientific resources into educational ones.
Beijing integrates universities and high-tech enterprises as second classrooms while Guangdong promotes "bring in" and "go out" strategies for science teachers’ training.
Across the country, thousands of physical science museums are open. Programs like “Tiangong Classroom” have been launched to inspire students with a love for scientific exploration.
With collective efforts from all sectors, more young scientists will be empowered towards better futures.