Authors: Xing Guozhong and Qu Liangya (professors and doctoral students at the School of Marxism, Beijing Normal University, respectively).
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Comrade Gao has attached great importance to patriotic education, issued a series of important speeches, made a series of important instructions and instructions, and made important arrangements for the legislative work of patriotic education. On October 24, 2023, the sixth meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress voted to pass the "Patriotic Education Law of the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Patriotic Education Law"). The Patriotic Education Law aims to strengthen patriotic education, inherit and promote the spirit of patriotism, and is of milestone significance for conducting patriotic education in accordance with the law in the new era.
1.There are laws to follow, and patriotic education is promoted by means of the rule of law.
The formulation of the Patriotic Education Law did not come out of nowhere, but was gradual and rule-based. As the foundation of the country, Article 24 of China's Constitution clearly stipulates that "education in patriotism, collectivism, internationalism, and communism should be carried out among the people". Conducting patriotic education among the people is a clear provision of the Constitution, and the promulgation and implementation of the Patriotic Education Law is an important measure to implement the provisions of the Constitution. Previously, a series of normative documents, such as the "Outline for the Implementation of Patriotic Education", "Implementation Opinions on the In-depth Development of Patriotic Education in the Education System", "Legislative Revision Plan for the Integration of Socialist Core Values into the Construction of the Rule of Law", and "Implementation Outline for Patriotic Education in the New Era", have been promulgated one after another, providing an institutionalized guarantee for patriotic education. China has also implemented a series of special laws closely related to patriotism, such as the National Flag Law, the Martyrs' Protection Law, the National Anthem Law, and the National Emblem Law. The formulation and implementation of these laws and regulations have made full legal preparations for the legislative work of patriotic education. The Patriotic Education Law stipulates the main content of patriotic education, covering ideological and political, historical and cultural culture, national symbols, the magnificent rivers and mountains of the motherland and historical and cultural heritage, the Constitution and laws, national unity and ethnic unity, national defense, heroic martyrs and exemplary deeds, etc., and promotes patriotic education in the new era by means of the rule of law. The promulgation of the Patriotic Education Law will greatly promote the standardized development of patriotic education and effectively improve the quality of patriotic education.
The enactment of the Patriotic Education Law is an important achievement in China's efforts to promote the rule of law. First of all, the formulation of the Patriotic Education Law is an inevitable requirement for building a legal system for patriotic education and realizing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. In the complex and severe international environment, the formulation of a sound patriotic education law will help consolidate the mainstream ideology of our country and stimulate the patriotic faith of all the people. Second, the enactment of the Patriotic Education Law is a concrete manifestation of China's strategy of governing the country according to law. China's patriotic education has achieved remarkable results, but there are still problems such as unclear main responsibility, insufficient supervision, and imperfect accountability mechanism. The formulation of the Patriotic Education Law is an important measure for the institutionalization, normalization, and long-term effectiveness of patriotic education in China, which provides a legal criterion for patriotic education, makes patriotic education more standardized and stable, and raises the spirit of patriotism to the level of legal responsibility. Comprehensively advancing the legalization of patriotic education has effectively ensured that patriotic education has laws to follow, laws must be followed, law enforcement must be strict, and violations must be prosecuted. Finally, the enactment of the Patriotic Education Law is an important legal guarantee for the construction of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the nation. Patriotism is the deepest and most enduring emotion, the most basic value criterion that every citizen should follow, and the fine tradition of the Chinese nation. The legalization of patriotic education is conducive to carrying forward and inheriting the national spirit, gathering majestic strength, stimulating patriotic enthusiasm, and providing solid legal support for building a modern socialist country in an all-round way and realizing the second centenary goal.
2.Deeply study and understand the patriotic education method in an all-round way.
Patriotic education is an important part of China's national education, and it is an inevitable requirement for consolidating the foundation and cultivating the yuan and concentrating the soul of the heart. Comprehensively grasping the intrinsic characteristics of the Patriotic Education Law is conducive to promoting patriotic education in the new era in a multi-dimensional, multi-level, and all-round way.
Thoroughly grasp the overall nature of the Patriotic Education Law. The Patriotic Education Law comprehensively constructs a new pattern of patriotic education, and carries out top-level design and planning for patriotic education from the national level. On the one hand, the Patriotism Education Law has always adhered to the guidance of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era, highlighting the Marxist position, viewpoint and method, and is a legal response to the topic of "what kind of patriotic education to carry out in the new era", enriching and developing the academic connotation of patriotism, enriching and developing the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, and clarifying in the form of legislation that patriotism is the unity of loving the party, loving the country, and loving socialism. On the other hand, specific requirements have been put forward for patriotic education, and it is clear that strengthening patriotic education in the new era is to serve the building of a modern socialist country in an all-round way and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in an all-round wayIt is clear that the object of patriotic education in the new era is the entire people, and it should run through the entire process of the national education systemIt is clear that patriotic education in the new era should inherit the excellent traditional Chinese culture and learn from and absorb all the outstanding achievements of human civilization.
Grasp the systematization of the Patriotic Education Act as a whole. The Communist Party of China (CPC) has always attached great importance to patriotic education, continued to deepen its understanding of the regularity of patriotic education, adhered to systematic thinking in the face of the complex international landscape, and promoted patriotic education in a coordinated manner in terms of improving the work pattern, clarifying the division of tasks, and optimizing the allocation of resources. The Patriotic Education Law clarifies the main responsibilities of the subjects at all levels from top to bottom, forming a basic pattern of joint management by the party and the government, joint efforts from top to bottom, participation of the whole people, joint construction by the whole people, and sharing by the whole people, so that patriotic education can play an unprecedented maximized, integrated and comprehensive effect. The Patriotic Education Law optimizes, upgrades, and couples all elements, links, and steps of patriotic education, and provides legal guarantees for patriotic education to move to a new height and achieve new results based on new forms and new characteristics.
Deeply grasp the practicality of the patriotic education method. The Patriotic Education Law draws on the fresh experience of patriotic education in the new era, and further concretizes and targets patriotic education. On the basis of fully grasping the laws governing the physical and mental development of different levels, age groups, and groups, as well as the laws governing the internal development of patriotic education, the Patriotic Education Law scientifically divides the targets of patriotic education and clearly stipulates the strengthening of patriotic education for minors, public officials, staff of enterprises and institutions, intellectuals and professional and technical personnel, grassroots masses, religious professionals, and religious believers. At the same time, the Patriotic Education Law has designed corresponding forms of activities for different educational objects, integrating patriotic education into ceremonial etiquette, campus cultural construction, professional training, spiritual civilization construction, and cultural and sports activities, so as to transform the patriotic spirit into patriotic actions.
3.For a long time, let patriotism take root in everyone's hearts.
The effectiveness of patriotic education has a bearing on whether the spirit of patriotism can take root deeply in everyone's hearts and whether the building of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the nation can be smoothly realized. To solidly promote patriotic education, it is necessary to focus on the following three aspects:
Cultivate patriotism and educate the concept of the rule of law. Patriotic education has both moral and legal attributes. It is necessary to take the promulgation and implementation of the law as an opportunity to extensively carry out propaganda and propaganda on the Patriotic Education Law, comprehensively explain the patriotic spirit contained therein, clarify the connotation of patriotism from the perspective of the rule of law, and guide people to elevate simple patriotic feelings into solemn legal obligations. Organize and carry out the implementation of the tasks of the Patriotism Education Law, and through systematic, scientific, and standardized work measures, cultivate people's patriotic feelings, and promote the whole society to govern the country and love the country in accordance with the law.
A good social atmosphere for nationalist education. Patriotism, Yin Yin to report the national situation. Patriotism is the core of our national spirit and the spiritual bond of the Chinese nation to unite and strive for self-improvement. It is necessary to firmly grasp the leading power and initiative, give better play to all kinds of advantages, and extensively carry out patriotic theme propaganda in party newspapers and party periodicals, radio and television, urban newspapers and periodicals, and new newspapers and periodicals, so as to form a strong momentum of loving and serving the motherland. Coordinate and make good use of public information dissemination platforms such as outdoor large screens, mobile display screens, propaganda columns, and poster columns, widely disseminate patriotism-themed micro-screens, micro-films, and public service advertisements, so that patriotic education can be integrated into the daily life of the people, and promote the spirit of patriotism to become the value pursuit and code of conduct of every citizen from the heart.
Enrich and expand the forms of patriotic education. The Patriotic Education Law clearly stipulates that to strengthen patriotic education, it is necessary to closely follow the new era and grasp the connotation of the new era. It is necessary to make good use of new channels, new methods, and new discourses to innovate the form and content of patriotic education. Innovate the form of patriotic education, and make full use of new and new technologies to carry out down-to-earth and popular patriotic education. Combined with important time nodes such as "July 1st", "August 1st" and "Eleventh" and traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, etc., organize and carry out a variety of mass nationalism education activities, and broaden the channels of patriotic education through various methods such as learning Xi experience, field visits, and research trips, so that people can deepen their ideological understanding in practice. Encourage the creation of cultural boutiques and products with the theme of nationalism, and in literature, film and television, dance, drama, art, calligraphy, animation, music and other creations, clear value orientation, so that the masses can sublimate patriotic feelings in the cultural edification.