Education department authorities have rubbished rumors that "985" and "211" projects have been cancelled. The "985" and "211" projects are decades-old national education plans to build some key institutions of higher learning in China. But it is high time that the government stopped running institutions of higher learning in a biased manner, says an article in Beijing News. Excerpts:

In response to some netizens' claim that the "985" and "211" projects will be abolished, the Ministry of Education has said it has no such plan. But the ministry's denial cannot change the fact that there is indeed a need to review projects such as "985" and "211".

The "985" and '211" projects are products of past educational development plans which were dominated by administrative departments. But the latest education program unveiled by the top authorities is to increase universities' power to operate independently and reduce administrative intervention in the management and assessment of departments.

The original aim of the "985" and "211" projects was to build some world-class universities in China and produce "brilliant" students in important fields. But the experiences of other countries, especially the advanced ones, show that top universities should never be designed to fit into a model. Instead, they should promote free competition, independent thinking and innovation.

An educational model dominated by administrative projects such as the "985" and "211" projects is not only harmful for serious academic pursuits and scientific research, but also breeds hierarchy and nurtures prejudice. Besides, the existing forms of administrative reviews and assessments of students' and scholars' works have compromised the spirit of educational independence.

That the Ministry of Education favors the universities under the "985" and '211" project with handsome government funds is not good for the overall development of higher education in China. It can only widen the gap between "normal" and "elite" colleges and universities, which is not conducive to elevating Chinese educational institutions to world-class levels.

People across the country want the government to change its outlook on higher education, and abandon some of its old ways of running universities and colleges. The Ministry of Education should realize that by canceling projects such as "985" and "211" it can create an environment of fair competition among universities. The cancellation of such projects is also expected to end the undue formalities and corruption associated with selection and assessment of students.

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