More Than Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
In China, schooling is not just about skills; it is an explicit tool for shaping citizens. From primary school through university, the education system is charged with transmitting socialist values, national pride, and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Patriotic Education, Then and Now
As early as 1991, the CCP launched a Patriotic Education Campaign, rewriting textbooks to downplay class struggle and highlight the party’s role in ending China’s “century of humiliation.” Schools were required to take students to revolutionary sites—so‑called Patriotic Education Bases—to anchor history lessons in physical places.
Under Xi Jinping, this ideological mission has intensified. At a national education conference in 2018, he stressed the need to teach “Chinese socialism” to youth. Political studies now start in kindergarten and run through university, with courses elaborating on Marxism, Maoism, and the theories of subsequent leaders.
Textbooks as Political Instruments
All primary and secondary textbooks are tightly controlled. A 2019 guideline formalized a three‑tier censorship system: the state designs and vets national curricula; local party committees review any locally written texts; schools must submit their own materials for approval. For politically sensitive subjects like history and politics, only standardized national textbooks are allowed.
In 2026, new national security readers were rolled out from elementary to high school, framing security in political terms and emphasizing loyalty to the party. Critics argue this prioritizes regime stability over independent thought.
Ideology in Higher Education
Universities are no exception. Foreign textbooks must not “spread Western values,” and Marxism institutes have exploded from about 100 to over 1,440 schools in less than a decade. Master’s and PhD programs in Marxism have surged, and new centers study Xi Jinping Thought, including his ideas on “ecological civilization.”
The Tension Between Control and Creativity
Officials present this system as nation‑building; dissenting voices warn it constrains academic freedom and critical thinking. Yet the logic is clear: for China’s leaders, controlling what is taught is inseparable from controlling the country’s future.