Promote the return of talent "hats" to academic standards

Recently, the Ministry of Education issued the "Several Opinions on Correctly Understanding and Standardizing the Use of Talents in Colleges and Universities", focusing on the problem of "only hats", guiding the correct understanding and standardizing of the use of talent titles, and improving the ability of modern education governance.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important speeches and important instructions on talent work many times, emphasizing the need to promote the return of talent "hats" and talent titles to the essence of academic and honorary nature; we must resolutely overcome the stubborn and chronic disease of only scores, only advancement, only diplomas, only papers, and only hats, and fundamentally solve the problem of education evaluation baton.

Some colleges and universities are keen to grab talents with academic titles and academic "hats", and have long been criticized. The result of this phenomenon is that the flow of academic talents is not smooth, and a small number of professors and scholars with "hats" and their universities occupy a large number of scientific research funds and educational resources, which has formed a squeeze effect on the development of more universities and talents.

In this regard, both the educational circles and public opinion have expressed various criticisms. In recent years, this call has also received more responses at the national level.

For example, as early as 2018, the Ministry of Education issued a notice on the special action of cleaning up "only papers, only hats, only titles, only academic qualifications, and only awards", requiring all colleges and universities under the ministry to carry out special actions to clean up the "five onlys" phenomenon.

However, it has to be said that the progress of the clean-up has not yet met the expectations of all walks of life, and the reform still has to advance to the deep-water area.

Not long ago, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the "Overall Plan for Deepening the Reform of Education Evaluation in the New Era", which specifically stipulates the promotion of the return of talent titles to academics and honors, which is a new baton established to break the phenomenon of "only hats". The introduction of the "opinions" of the Ministry of Education marks that the reform has entered the landing stage.

There are complex reasons for the long-term existence of the "only hat" drawbacks, and the key to cracking the stubborn disease is to improve the mechanism of educational resource allocation. In reality, the reason why many colleges and universities compete for "hat" talents is because these people are the weight of various scientific research projects and financial funds.

Ideas are largely determined by interests. Even if college administrators know these "hat" talents, they may not be of great help to the education level of the university, but as long as they can bring benefits to the interests of colleges and universities and help to improve the "political performance" of colleges and universities, they will still flock to it.

Therefore, changing the logic of the distribution of educational resources plays a vital role in breaking the phenomenon of "only hats". The ministry of education's newly issued "Opinions" also has a very clear response to this, proposing that "the title of talent should not be used as the only basis for evaluating talents and allocating academic resources, and the effectiveness of the construction of the talent team should not be evaluated solely by the number of talent title winners.".

If these spirits are implemented, it means that the "attractiveness" of the "hat" in the allocation of educational resources is reduced, which is of significance for changing the biased concept of colleges and universities.

Let educational resources no longer follow the "hat" turn, not only adapted to the macro level, in the universities or scientific research institutions, there have been similar problems in the past. Salary and treatment is not to look at the actual contribution, but to look at the "hat" and look at the title, which is unfair to many young talents who do not have a "hat", and discourage their enthusiasm for developing and improving themselves.

The "Opinions" also specifically proposed that it is necessary to establish a correct orientation for income distribution and not to simply link the title of talent with material interests such as salary and treatment.

There is a broad consensus on the reform of education evaluation, and what is being tested now is the ability to land. It is hoped that the evaluation reform in the field of education will be seen at an early date and a new look with remarkable results will be presented. In the final analysis, the purpose of reform is to make the best use of people's talents and release more innovative vitality.

Editor-in-Charge: Cheng Shicai