Ministry of Education Responds to Hot Topics Such as "Yin-Yang Class Schedules" and "Double First-Class" Enrollment Expansion

On September 23, the State Council Information Office held a series of press conferences themed "Starting the 15th FiveYear Plan on Solid Ground." Relevant officials from the Ministry of Education responded to multiple hotbutton issues in the education sector, covering topics such as recess activities, implementation of physical education classes, offcampus practical teaching, and expansion of higher education. The Ministry of Education stated that China has built the world's largest education system, one that is also of high quality, and that multiple indicators for basic education and higher education have continued to improve. Relevant officials said that in the future, efforts will continue to expand highquality educational resources and enhance the ability of universities to serve national strategies and regional development. In response to issues such as "yinyang class schedules" in primary and secondary schools, the Ministry of Education stressed the need to incorporate requirements such as daily comprehensive physical activities, one physical education class per day, and 15minute recess periods into class schedules, so as to prevent physical education classes and rest time from being squeezed out, and to promote the implementation of these policies through measures involving facilities, teaching staff, and guarantee mechanisms. In terms of higher education, the Ministry of Education proposed that during the 15th FiveYear Plan period, support will be given to the establishment of about 200 highlevel applied undergraduate universities, and that undergraduate enrollment at "Double FirstClass" universities will continue to expand, so as to better meet the public's demand for highquality higher education. At the same time, basic education will also improve its capacity for schoolplace supply and balanced regional allocation through monitoring of schoolage population changes and overall resource coordination.