推进素质教育

You will usually see this as a complete action. The verb 推进 means to push something forward or promote it. You can use it when discussing school reforms. It also works when talking about parenting styles that value hobbies. It is a bit like saying 'holistic learning' in English. You can say a school is doing a great job at it. Or you can argue that society needs more of it.

This is a star phrase in formal settings. Use it during a parent-teacher conference to sound informed. It is perfect for a business meeting about educational technology. You will see it in every Chinese news report about schools. If you are writing an essay about society, this is your go-to term. It shows you understand the deeper goals of modern Chinese culture.

Don't use this for small, specific skills. If you are teaching a friend how to cook, don't call it 推进素质教育. That sounds way too grand and a bit silly. It is not for training animals or learning a quick life hack. Avoid it in very casual slang-heavy chats with teenagers. They might roll their eyes because it sounds like a principal's speech. Keep it for 'big picture' education talks.

For decades, the 'Gaokao' (college entrance exam) ruled everything in China. This led to 'exam-oriented education' or 应试教育. While effective for grades, people worried kids were losing their creativity. In the late 90s, the government began heavily promoting 素质教育. It is a response to the 'involution' or 内卷 of modern schooling. It represents the hope for a happier, more creative generation of students.

You will often hear people just say 素质教育 on its own. Another common partner is 全面发展, which means 'all-round development.' Sometimes people talk about 减负, which means 'reducing the burden' of homework. These terms all hang out in the same neighborhood. They all point toward a more balanced and healthy way of growing up.