On 2 December 2020, the Open University of China (OUC) held an online video seminar with community-education experts, aiming to implement the guidance of the 5th Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping's important exposition on education, and push forward the development of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the construction of a new national education platform as proposed in the OUC Comprehensive Reform Plan.
Hao Yamei, director and Wang Li, deputy director of the Division of Social Education for Urban and Rural Areas of the Department of Vocational and Adult Education, Ministry of Education (MOE); Ju Chuanjin, OUC vice president, and director of the MOE Research & Training Centre for Community Education; and staff from the MOE Research & Training Centre for Community Education, attended the meeting, held in the main venue of the OUC. Community-education experts from provincial and municipal education-administration departments, community-education guidance centres, and community universities and colleges, participated in the meeting online through the OUC cloud classroom.
The experts first gave speeches on the concepts and measures applicable to the development of community education, the construction of teaching teams engaged in it, the sharing of community-education resources, and the exhibition of outstanding achievements related to it during the period of the 14th Five Year Plan. They also made suggestions as to the formulation of laws and regulations relevant to community education, broadening of funding channels, promotion of collaboration across departments, construction of teaching teams, locations for the construction of demonstration and experimental zones, and so on.
Hao Yamei and Wang Li, after listening to the opinions of the experts, expounded on the issues of common concern to the participants, and presented their vision of the development of community education as one that, based on existing achievements and experiences, will focus on major issues and rely on collaboration to continue growing nationwide. Ju Chuanjin said that the OUC Comprehensive Reform Plan proposes "to expand community education into a new channel of learning across the country". The MOE Research & Training Centre for Community Education, with its office at the OUC, will work with the national system of the OUC to help promote the development of community education under the guidance of the MOE Department of Vocational and Adult Education.
The experts also shared typical cases of community education, proposing that the MOE Research & Training Centre for Community Education should, under the guidance of the MOE and local administrations, take advantage of the OUC system, encourage cooperation and exchange, work with local community education-guidance centres, community universities and colleges, and other institutions, promote integration of resources, publicise the availability of community education, and ensure the quality, balance and sustainability of its development.
Written by Du Ruo and Li Huiqin; photos by Zhang Jun, OUC