Ministry of Education represents the State Council’s organizational department managing education and language.

Its main responsibilities include:

1, to research on the formulation of guidelines and policies of education. To draft related education laws and regulations.

2, to research on the proposal concerning the development strategy of education reform and national education development. To formulate the policy of education system reform and the key, structure, speed of education development. To direct and coordinate their implementation.

3, to plan the education fee of the department as a whole. To participate in the formulation and raise of the education fee, education allocation of funds, the guidelines, policies of education infrastructure investment. To supervise the raise and use of national education fee. According to the related rules, to manage the education aid and loan of education.

4, to research on the proposal of he setup standard, teaching requirements, basic documents of all kinds of schools of secondary and elementary education.

5, to manage higher education, graduate education, high profession education, adult higher education, and higher education by social strength, adult higher education self-study examination, and continuing education. To research on the proposals of setup standard of higher education school. To examine the establishment, rename, cancellation and adjustment of higher education schools. To formulate the disciplinary catalog and teaching documents. To direct the reform and evaluation of higher education schools. And to be responsible for the implementation and coordination of 211 Project.

6, to plan and direct ethnic education as a whole and coordinate the education aid to ethnic regions.

7, To plan and direct the party organization and political education, moral education, sports and health, arts education, and national defense education in higher education schools.

8, To manage teachers nationwide. To set the qualifications standards of teachers of all levels. To propose the formation standards of schools of all levels. To plan the organization of teachers and guardians.

9, to manage the matriculation of higher education. To formulate recruitment plan of higher education schools. To shoulder the responsibility to manage the students file of higher education schools. To manage the reform of graduates employment and its policy, and to implement the employment allocation works.

10, To plan and direct the research of science, philosophy, and sociology. To coordinate and direct the important national key scientific and technological project, national defense key projects. To direct the development and construction of national key laboratories and projects research center in higher education schools.

11, To plan the management, coordination, and direction of foreign affairs within the education system as a whole. To formulate the guidelines and policies of studying abroad and foreigners studying in China. To arrange, coordinate and direct the learning of Chinese of foreigners. To direct the work of educational organizations stationed outside China. To shoulder the responsibility of the education communication of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

12, To shoulder the responsibility of the statistics, analysis, and announcement of basic education information.

13, To formulate the guidelines and policies of state language work and to arrange long-term plan for it. To formulate the standards of Chinese and ethnic languages, and launch inspection to it. To direct the promotion of Mandarin and Mandarin test.

14, To plan the degree work as a whole, to draft related regulations of degree. To shoulder the responsibility of the implementation of state degree system and the international degree equity and mutual recognition. Also to undertake the detailed work of Degree Committee of State Committee.

15, To shoulder the responsibility to coordinate the cooperation and communication between all member departments and organizations of Chinese Committee of UNESCO and other departments and organizations. To contact and communicate with General Office, office in Asian Pacific region and Beijing office of UNESCO. To contact the delegation of China to UNESCO and direct its work.

16, To undertake issues assigned by technology and science education work team of State Council.

17, To undertake other issues assigned by State Council.