BEIJING - China issued its first national action plan to build a 'strong education nation' by 2035, which it said would help coordinate its education development, improve efficiencies in innovation and build a 'strong country.'

The plan, issued Sunday by the Communist Party's central committee and the State Council, aims to establish a 'high quality education system' with accessibility and quality 'among the best in the world.'

The announcement was made after data on Friday showed China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with the number of deaths outpacing a slight increase in births, and experts cautioning that the downturn will worsen in the coming years.

High childcare and education costs have been a key factor for many young Chinese opting out of having children, at a time when many face uncertainty over their job prospects amid sluggish economic growth.

'By 2035, an education power will be built,' the official Xinhua news agency said, adding that China would explore gradually expanding the scope of free education, increase 'high-quality' undergraduate enrolment, expand postgraduate education, and raise the proportion of doctoral students.

The plan aims to promote 'healthy growth and all-round development of students,' making sure primary and secondary school students have at least two hours of physical activity daily, to effectively control the myopia, or nearsightedness, and obesity rates.

'Popularizing' mental health education and establishing a national student mental health monitoring and early warning system would also be implemented, it said.

It also aims to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas to improve the operating conditions of small-scale rural schools and improve the care system for children with disabilities and those belonging to agricultural migrant populations.

The plan also aims to steadily increase the supply of kindergarten places and the accessibility of preschool education.

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