BEIJING — President Xi Jinping has stressed following the path of socialist education with Chinese characteristics to nurture generations of capable young people well-prepared to join the socialist cause.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said young people should have an all-round moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic grounding with a hard-working spirit.

Xi made the statement at a national education conference on Sept 10, which marks the 34th Teachers’ Day in China. He extended congratulations and greetings to teachers and other education workers nationwide on behalf of the CPC Central Committee.

It’s imperative to uphold Marxism as a guiding ideology and stick to the path of socialist education with Chinese characteristics, Xi stressed, adding that schools should adhere to the socialist direction.

Xi called on the CPC and society to promote the social norms of respecting teachers and valuing education.

He stressed enhancing the political, social, and professional status of teachers so that they can enjoy their due social prestige and make greater contributions to the cause of the Party and the people by imparting knowledge and educating people.

Xi spoke of the decisive significance of education in achieving national rejuvenation.

Xi said a series of new philosophies, thoughts, and viewpoints have been raised in the reform and development of education, including upholding overall Party leadership over education.

Xi spoke of the need to give priority to developing education in the new era faced with new circumstances as a gambit to advance the endeavors of the Party and the state in all areas.

Because China is a CPC-led socialist country, the fundamental task of education must be nurturing capable young people well-prepared to join the socialist cause, Xi said.

Capable people should be nurtured generation after generation to uphold the Party leadership and the socialist system and commit themselves to strive for socialism with Chinese characteristics for life, Xi said.

Better education and guidance are needed to build the noble ideal of Communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics among the students, Xi said.

Efforts should be made to firm up the patriotic spirit in the students’ hearts, he said, adding that the students should also be guided to love and support the CPC.

Xi said the students should be encouraged to treasure their time in school and concentrate on seeking knowledge in an undistracted manner.

He also urged efforts to educate and guide the students to foster their sense of responsibility, striving spirit, comprehensive capability, creative thinking, love for sports, aesthetic taste and hard-working spirit.

Xi stressed building an education system which comprehensively fosters the students’ all-round moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic grounding with a hard-working spirit, in a bid to bring the country’s personnel fostering system to a higher level.

He also pledged continuous improvements in the treatment of teachers.

Xi urged deepening of reforms of the education system, calling for efforts to move faster to build Chinese universities into world-class universities and develop world-class disciplines.

Xi said that efforts to strengthen the overall Party leadership over education work are the fundamental guarantee for the developments in education, adding that families, schools, the government, and society should all do their share and perform their responsibilities in education.

In his speech, Premier Li Keqiang called for efforts to earnestly study, understand and implement the spirit of the important speech by Xi and to give priority to developing education.

Other leaders including Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng also attended the conference.