China's top education authority said it requires the political loyalty of potential professors if they wish to be hired by universities.
According to an official notice jointly released by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China and the Ministry of Education, political and ideological theory will be assigned to qualified teachers, but political loyalty is a prerequisite for being hired, reported China News Service on Monday.
Some universities in China have not put enough emphasis on teaching political and ideological theory, said the notice.
To improve the situation, authorities have implemented several measures, including the training of professional teachers for political and ideological theory, fine-tuning textbooks, reforming current teaching methods and building a comprehensive curriculum.
"The quality of teachers has failed to keep pace with the rapid demand of curriculum reform, and is in urgent need for an upgrade," said the notice.
Textbooks on political and ideological theory will be standardized. Several major publications on Marxist theory will also be listed as important references, it added. Scholarships will be provided to 150 outstanding research and teaching professionals every year.
