Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Education is the foundation of national development. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, always gives priority to education, Xinhua reported.

Over the years, Xi has visited schools one after another and made plans to promote the development and reform of education, viewing people’s satisfaction as the fundamental measure of success.

In March 1984, when Xi was serving as Party chief of Zhengding County in north China’s Hebei Province, he visited a village primary school.

Upon seeing the dilapidated school buildings, Xi called for a meeting that night to rectify the situation.

"Education matters to the future generations," Xi said, requiring that schools be built with the highest standard in every township and village.

Xi has emphasized the importance of education on multiple occasions, noting that the success of poverty eradication lies essentially in the cultivation of children in poor areas.

In February 2015, Xi went to a primary school in the old revolutionary base of Yan’an where he visited teachers and staff members.

Xi said that boosting education should be the primary focus of development in old revolutionary base areas and poor regions.

Before the Spring Festival of 2018, while visiting the homes of impoverished villagers in mountainous Zhaojue County, Sichuan Province, Xi asked villagers whether their children were able to attend school.

In April 2019, while visiting a primary school in one of the extremely poor areas in southwest China’s Chongqing, Xi praised rural teachers for their efforts in nurturing outstanding young generations.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has attached great importance to building up the ranks of teachers and rolled out a range of reform measures.

China has been advancing a program to support rural teachers. A free education policy for education majors brings 45,000 graduates annually to teach in rural areas, and living allowances have benefitted 1.3 million teachers in over 80,000 rural schools in central and western regions.

In a letter to a group of teachers attending a training program in Beijing, Xi said it has bright prospects to engage in education in poor regions, as every child should be able to enjoy a vibrant education.

Vocational education is a vital component of the national education system and human resources development. Xi has always attached importance to vocational education and the cultivation of skilled personnel.

In May 2013, Xi visited a vocational training center in Tianjin and encouraged the trainees to deliver extraordinary performances at their posts.

On June 17, 2015, Xi paid a visit to Guizhou Machinery Industry School to inspect the practice base for smart manufacturing.

Noting that the country needs a great number of skilled workers, Xi encouraged students in the school to have full confidence in their future.

While visiting a vocational school in Gansu Province last August, Xi said that the prospects provided by vocational education were promising.

Xi also gave particular attention to the education of disadvantaged groups, such as orphans and disabled children.

Prior to the Spring Festival of 2014, Xi visited a children’s welfare home in the city of Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where he chatted with the children and staff members.

China has made significant gains in improving special-needs education in recent years, with disabled students from poor families entitled to 12 years of free education from primary school to senior high school.

"People with disabilities can also live a brilliant life," Xi said during his July 2016 visit to a paraplegic rehabilitation center in Hebei Province.