During a course presentation earlier this year, teachers of a prestigious Shanghai high school showcased their innovative practices in math and science interdisciplinary teaching, from exploring number sequences in math by cutting paper tapes, to investigating silicon-based semiconductor materials in chemistry, and analyzing the water quality of a campus lake.

Long hailed as a vanguard of innovation in China's basic education, the Shanghai High School (SHS) focuses on both theoretical knowledge and problem-solving skills in math and science, precisely what the country's authorities aim to drive for at the basic education stage in the coming years.

Shu Xing, director of teaching affairs at SHS, said that the school has been consistently devoted to cultivating students' mathematical and scientific literacy through multiple approaches. "We have established a diverse curriculum system, created platforms for innovative practices, and optimized the evaluation system."

Recently, Chinese authorities released guidelines to strengthen science and technology education in primary and middle schools, aiming to lay a solid foundation for fostering sci-tech talent and thereby enhancing the country's self-reliance and strength in this field.

The guidelines set a goal of largely establishing a sci-tech education system in primary and secondary schools by 2030. They also put forward six tasks, calling for efforts to reform teaching methods, strengthen interdisciplinary integration, and build a strong teacher force.

Notably, the guidelines proposed to advance integrated design across primary, secondary and higher education to strengthen the transformation of cutting-edge sci-tech achievements into educational resources.

At a press conference on the guidelines, Xu Xuejun, vice president of Tongji University in Shanghai, said that sci-tech education goes beyond merely cultivating scientific thinking. More importantly, it aims to channel high-quality sci-tech resources into basic education.

Xu said this approach is no longer confined to activities such as universities opening their laboratories to primary and secondary school students or university professors giving lectures in these schools. Instead, it represents a deeper level of collaborative education.

The guidelines advocate collaboration among universities, research institutes, and primary and secondary schools to establish regional sci-tech education centers jointly. Tech companies and charities are also encouraged to participate in developing school sci-tech projects and provide practical guidance and resource support.

"Currently, Tongji University is building a sci-tech high school. We are working to ensure full integration and alignment between our university and the high school in terms of curriculum and faculty," Xu said.

In its recent recommendations for formulating China's 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (2026-2030), the Communist Party of China's leadership stressed achieving greater self-reliance, strengthening science and technology, and boosting China's education, sci-tech, and human resources in a well-coordinated manner over the next five years.

Currently, science and technology-related courses are offered from Grade 1 to Grade 9 in Chinese schools. Regular senior highs set mandatory credits for physics, chemistry, biology and technology, and have independently established courses in information technology and general technology.

In the capital, Beijing, for example, each primary and secondary school in the Haidian District has a vice principal in charge of sci-tech education, who establishes connections with a university, a laboratory, and a tech enterprise.

Ye Ying, the mother of a sixth-grader in Beijing, said that her son, a science lover, finds his school's science classes captivating but yearns for more. "My son now takes extra science classes off campus. It would be far more ideal if the school could provide more well-structured courses at a faster pace," she told Xinhua.

Tian Zuyin, an official of the Ministry of Education in charge of basic education, emphasized that it is essential to break down disciplinary barriers among science, engineering, technology and math, and to foster an interdisciplinary, holistic perspective.

"We aim to enhance the effectiveness of existing curricula, thereby granting students better chances to engage in independent inquiry and innovative practices," said Tian.

In recent years, schools in China's rural areas have also placed a growing emphasis on sci-tech education. Yaoxiang Middle School in Dong'an County, central China's Hunan Province, is one of them.

Hu Guozhu, a sci-tech teacher at Yaoxiang, recalled that he initially used only a 50-square-meter activity room that had been transformed from a disused table tennis room. Now, the school has a 300-square-meter intelligent robot education laboratory co-built with enterprises, and a considerable collection of robots, vehicle models, and drones.

Hu said that the school offers both sci-tech courses and relevant clubs, with a focus on addressing practical issues in rural areas. "Sci-tech education in rural areas does not need to simply copy the urban model," Hu said, suggesting the utilization of local rural resources to forge a distinctive development path.

Nevertheless, experts admit that sci-tech education in primary schools still faces challenges, including a lack of teaching staff and limited space for practice.

Data show that in 2022, there were 240,000 full-time science teachers in primary schools across China, averaging 1.61 per school, indicating a severe shortage. Most of these teachers hold bachelor's degrees, and less than three percent hold master's degrees or higher.

The guidelines proposed training more teachers in sci-tech education, such as launching master's programs at more elite universities. Currently, only a few dozen universities in China enroll master's students in science and technology education. Universities and research institutes are also encouraged to send experts to serve as part-time teachers in primary and secondary schools.

"Universities should play a pivotal role in resource sharing by turning general education courses and popular science lectures into online resources, and enabling remote areas to share high-quality sci-tech educational resources," said Xu.

Source: Xinhua