County-level education in China has transitioned from filling resource gaps to tackling deeper challenges of quality enhancement, marking a critical juncture in its evolution. As the foundation of China's education system, county-level education plays a pivotal role in building a talent-driven nation. Promoting educational equity and accelerating balanced, high-quality development necessitates elevating county-level education and revitalizing county high schools.
The *County Education Insight White Paper (2025)*, released at the 2025 County Education High-Quality Development Conference, highlights that county-level education has reached a historic turning point—shifting from "resource balance" to "quality leap." Zhang Zhiyong, a professor at Beijing Normal University and director of the National High-End Think Tank Education Survey Center, emphasized that quality education hinges on "comprehensive development + full development." This means not only delivering a well-rounded curriculum but also catering to students' individual strengths, such as sports and arts, to foster a virtuous cycle of trust, retention of top students, and attraction of skilled educators.
The 14th Five-Year Plan period has been instrumental in strengthening county-level education. Policies like the *County High School Development and Enhancement Action Plan* have injected unprecedented resources, leading to new school buildings, standardized sports fields, and smart classrooms. These measures have laid a solid foundation for equitable education. However, as initial survival challenges are resolved, the focus must shift to reforms—such as evaluation systems and school autonomy—to address developmental issues.
Wang Feng, director of the Education System Reform Institute at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, advocates for a "diverse education quality outlook." This includes fostering top-tier talent, deepening student-centered evaluation reforms, and exploring AI-enhanced learning models. Chen Junwei, chairman of Hailiang Education Technology Service Group, stresses that rural education revitalization depends on strong management teams and operational mechanisms, with talent being the "golden ticket" to success.
AI integration presents both opportunities and hurdles in county-level education. While AI tools like smart classrooms and备课 assistants are gaining traction, their application remains superficial, often limited to basic tasks like grading rather than transformative teaching reforms. Challenges include mismatches between urban-designed AI systems and rural students' needs, as well as inadequate teacher training.
For AI to truly take root, three conditions must be met: practical training for educators, localization of products to fit county-level contexts, and seamless integration into teaching-assessment-learning processes. Zhang Zhiyong underscores the need for a gradual approach—shifting mindsets, upgrading infrastructure, and embedding digital tools into daily teaching.
The future of county-level education lies not in uniform mediocrity but in personalized, high-quality development—a vision that demands sustained innovation and collaboration.
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