China's first regulation on farmer education and training is officially issued
On May 26, the "Tianjin Municipal Regulation on Farmer Education and Training" was voted through at the 17th session of the Standing Committee of the 15th Tianjin Municipal People's Congress, and will take effect on August 1, 2010. This is China's first local regulation on farmer education and training, marking that China's farmer education and training work will gradually enter a legalized track.
The Regulation provides detailed provisions on the organizational principles, development plans, training entities, funding guarantees, organizational management, legal responsibilities and other aspects of farmer education and training.
The Regulation states that "the term 'farmer education and training' referred to herein includes education and training activities such as practical agricultural technology training, vocational skills training for the rural labor force, and adult academic education for farmers." This definition clearly defines the connotation of farmer education and training, and provides certain guidance and reference for problems such as confused definitions and vague meanings of farmer education and training in current society.
The Regulation provides that "workers with agricultural household registration in this municipality, workers with non-agricultural household registration in this municipality who engage in agricultural production, and workers without household registration in this municipality but who have leased land in this municipality for agricultural production for more than two years, shall receive farmer education and training in this municipality in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation." According to the Regulation, the scope of farmers receiving training is further expanded, including not only farmers of this municipality, but also non-local farmers who have engaged in agricultural production in this municipality for more than two years. This provision fully reflects the Regulation's "farmer-oriented" philosophy and will play a certain role in promoting the coordinated urban-rural development of Tianjin and building a harmonious society.
The Regulation clearly states that "the municipal government and the people's governments of districts and counties with agriculture shall incorporate farmer education and training work into the national economic and social development plans. The agricultural administrative departments of the municipality and of districts and counties with agriculture shall, together with relevant departments, formulate farmer education and training plans based on the national economic and social development plans and the actual needs of rural economic and social development. The municipal government and the people's governments of districts and counties with agriculture shall include farmer education and training funds in the annual fiscal budget, and increase them year by year along with economic and social development." This provision can be summarized as "development with planning, training with plans, and funding with guarantees," fully reflecting Tianjin's determination and efforts to carry out farmer education and training in depth.
The Regulation requires that "the agricultural administrative department shall be responsible for the overall planning, comprehensive coordination, supervision and management of farmer education and training work. The agricultural, human resources and social security, and education administrative departments shall respectively be responsible for and organize the implementation of practical agricultural technology training, vocational skills training for the rural labor force, and adult academic education for farmers. Administrative departments such as development and reform, science and technology, construction and transportation, finance, and quality and technical supervision shall, within the scope of their respective duties, do a good job in related work of farmer education and training. News media such as newspapers, radio and television shall strengthen publicity of farmer education and training work and create a good atmosphere for carrying out farmer education and training." It can be seen that the Regulation has made detailed divisions of labor for departments involved in farmer education and training work, including agriculture, human resources, education, development and reform, and news publicity, clarifying their responsibilities, which will further promote the integration and complementation of departmental advantages and the co-construction and sharing of resources.
In terms of organizational implementation, the Regulation has made detailed provisions on the construction of the farmer education and training system, the construction of the teaching staff, the construction of teaching resources, education and training methods, the establishment of assessment and evaluation mechanisms, how training connects with vocational qualification certificates, commendation of advanced individuals, recognition and management of training institutions, and follow-up policy support for training, reflecting the comprehensive and pragmatic style of the Regulation.
Finally, the Regulation provides for relevant legal responsibilities, clearly stating that "those who publish false enrollment brochures to defraud money, illegally issue or forge academic certificates, completion certificates, training certificates, or vocational qualification certificates, practice fraud to obtain subsidy funds, fail to carry out education and training activities for enrolled trainees as required and cause vile social impact, or intercept or misappropriate farmer education and training funds" shall be given corresponding penalties, and "if a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility shall be pursued according to law."
The "Tianjin Municipal Regulation on Farmer Education and Training" is by far China's first local regulation specifically formulated for farmer education and training. The promulgation and implementation of this Regulation is not only of great significance for comprehensively improving the overall quality of farmers in the region, cultivating new-type farmers who are cultured, understand technology, and know how to run businesses, promoting the development of modern agriculture and the construction of a new socialist countryside in Tianjin, and achieving coordinated urban-rural development, but also means that China's farmer education and training legislation has made breakthrough progress, has certain practical reference significance for other provinces and cities in carrying out farmer education and training legislation, and plays an important role in promoting China's farmer education and training work onto a healthy and sustainable development path.