Thirteen organizations — including the Ministry of Education, the Publicity Department of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Central Committee, the Office of the National Working Committee on Children and Women, the All-China Women's Federation — recently promulgated a document, in which the organizations offered suggestions on how to establish and improve the education mechanism, under which families, schools and society shall work together to promote education. The document notes China will establish a highly efficient mechanism for school-family-society collaboration in education by 2035.

The document defines the responsibilities of schools, families and society in promoting education. According to the document, schools should tell parents about their children's in-school performance (including behavior, academic performance, and physical and mental development). The document stipulates schools should organize at least two activities (every semester) to offer guidance to parents, to help them improve their ability to educate and care for children.

The document stresses parents should assume primary responsibility for the implementation of family education for their children. The document also requires parents to participate in school-organized family education themed activities and home-school interaction activities.

The document also stipulates various education bases and venues (in various regions of the country) should be open to preschool, primary and middle school students, free of charge, or at preferential prices. Also, the document stresses efforts should be made to build a safe, pure cyberspace, to create a favorable environment to foster children's healthy growth and development.

In addition, the document requires universities, scientific-research institutes and other organizations to strengthen their theoretical studies on education, and to improve work related to cultivating talents for offering education guidance services.

(Women of China English Monthly March 2023 issue)