‘Xi’s Thought’ bumps heads with creative thinking
His political philosophy ‘is not conducive to supporting innovation’ in the classroom
Innovation has become an obsession for President Xi Jinping and his ruling Communist Party. But not at the expense of political dogma as outlined in his “Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era.”
Dominating the high-tech landscape of the future has always been the goal of Comrade Xi. Now, it will be embedded in the educational system when it comes to “creative thinking.”
Earlier this week, the powerful Central Committee and State Council outlined a road map for technological supremacy. At the heart of the project will be Xi’s Thought, “emphasizing Party loyalty” in classrooms across the country.
“[We should] regularly conduct political and ideological training for teachers and enhance their emotional identification with the [CCP],” the Xinhua New Agency, the mouthpiece of the government, reported.
“[Incorporating] the study and implementation of General Secretary Xi’s theories on education [should be] a mandatory course for teacher development,” it said as posted on www.gov.cn.
[This] is not conducive to supporting innovation.
Trivium, the research consultancy
Between the lines:
- Xi’s “political philosophy” first entered the educational system in 2021.
- It is now taught to students from primary school to universities and technology colleges.
- Even kindergarten kids learn about “Grandpa Xi.”
Delve deeper: “The Party wants to cultivate the world’s best teachers – but has no idea how to do it,” Trivium, the research consultancy specializing in China, pointed out in a newsletter.
The bottom line: “[But] a training system emphasizing Party loyalty over teaching ability is not conducive to supporting innovation,” it said.
Big picture: “Such a system rewards teachers who toe the Party line rather than those who excel at training students to innovate and generate creative solutions,” Trivium concluded.
China Factor comment: It is this sort of ideological nonsense that will wreck China’s ambitions of becoming “technologically self-sufficient,” and the Party itself.