A provincial conference on educational plans for 2019 opens in Nanjing, the provincial capital, on Feb 14. [Photo/jyt.jiangsu.gov.cn]

A provincial conference on educational plans for 2019 opened in Nanjing, the provincial capital, on Feb 14. 

Ge Daokai, director-general of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, said the province will continue to sharpen its educational capabilities in two aspects, on one hand it will spare no efforts in solving public's concerns, while on the other hand it will provide education of the highest quality to students' satisfaction. 

Referring to the basic education sector, Ge said the problem of parents sending their children to schools has been greatly alleviated in 2018, with 581 kindergartens, 444 elementary and middle schools, and 30 high schools already opened to the public. 

In 2019, the province will maintain its focus on building schools, as 300 kindergartens, 350 primary and middle schools, and 30 high schools have been put on the schedule.

Ge Daokai, director-general of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, speaks at the conference on Feb 14. [Photo/jyt.jiangsu.gov.cn]

Riding the wind of Jiangsu strengthening its supervision on cram schools and closing 5,405 unqualified ones in 2018, the province will initiate an integrated management platform in 2019, announcing the cram school related policies and black and white lists, and receiving comments and suggestions from the public. 

Jiangsu also strictly prohibits "advance learning" in schools offering preprimary and compulsory education, lightening the students' overburdens and motivating public efforts to after-school activities. 

Eyeing the higher education sector, Jiangsu sets the target of playing a more active role in China's "Double First-class" scheme, a national plan aiming to nurture a group of world-leading Chinese higher education institutions and disciplines. It also strives to enlarge the enrollment scale of these prestigious higher learning institutions, making more Jiangsu students become their members.

University principals and education chiefs from Jiangsu cities speak at the conference on Feb 14. [Photo/jyt.jiangsu.gov.cn]