The Ministry of Education held a nationwide video-conference on January 7 calling on educational institutions around the country to adopt effective measures to relieve the stress and workload of primary and high school students.

The Ministry issued an urgent circular earlier this week with detailed guidelines regarding the reform of elementary and high school education.

Chen Zhili, the Minister of Education, said at the conference that China must reform its present education system. This will include expanding high school and higher education and offering more opportunities for young people to develop at their own pace so to alleviate the pressure of entering colleges and universities.

Chen also said that primary and high school should reduce their curricula and increase new courses that suit the requirements and needs of students. Changing enrollment and student evaluation procedures as well as the improving the quality of teachers and schoolmasters are urgently needed.