# Minister of Education (China)

The minister of education of the People's Republic of China is the head of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and a member of the State Council. Within the State Council, the position is fourth in order of precedence. The minister is responsible for leading the ministry, presiding over its meetings, and signing important documents related to the ministry. Officially, the minister is nominated by the premier of the State Council, who is then approved by the National People's Congress or its Standing Committee and appointed by the president.
The current minister is Huai Jinpeng, who concurrently serves as the Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary of the ministry.

## History

The Ministry of Education of the Central People's Government was established on 1 October 1949, and Ma Xulun became the first minister on 19 October. The ministry was reorganized to the Ministry of Education of the PRC in September 1954, and the title of the minister was also changed. On 26 July 1968, during the Cultural Revolution, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the State Council and the Central Military Commission decided to implement military rule over the ministry; the Director of the Military Control Commission Zhu Kui served as the head of the ministry. On 22 June 1970, the Ministry of Education was abolished and merged into the Science and Education Group of the State Council. On 17 January 1975, the Science and Education Group of the State Council was abolished and the Ministry of Education was re-established. On 18 June 1985, the Ministry of Education was renamed to the State Education Commission, and was named back to the Ministry of Education on 10 March 1993.

## List of ministers

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Important offices held during tenure | Premier | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Term | Important offices held during tenure | Premier | Ref. |
| Minister of Education of the Central People's Government |||||||||
| 1 | | Ma Xulun 马叙伦 (1885–1970) | 19 October 1949 | 15 November 1952 | 3 years, 27 days | Member of the Central People's Government Deputy Director of the Cultural and Educational Committee of the Central People's Government Director of the Chinese Character Reform Research Committee Chairman of the China Democratic League | Zhou Enlai | |
| 2 | | Zhang Xiruo 张奚若 (1889–1973) | 15 November 1952 | 28 September 1954 | 1 year, 317 days | Vice Chairman of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the State Council President of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs | Zhou Enlai | |
| Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China |||||||||
| 2 | | Zhang Xiruo 张奚若 (1889–1973) | 28 September 1954 | 11 February 1958 | 3 years, 136 days | Director of the Foreign Cultural Liaison Committee President of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs | Zhou Enlai | |
| 3 | | Yang Xiufeng 杨秀峰 (1897–1983) | 11 February 1958 | 22 July 1964 | 6 years, 162 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education Deputy Director of the Second Office of the State Council | Zhou Enlai | |
| – | | Liu Jiping 刘季平 (1915–1990) | 22 July 1964 | 4 October 1964 | 74 days | Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education | Zhou Enlai | |
| 4 | | He Wei 何伟 (1910–1973) | 4 October 1964 | 26 July 1968 | 3 years, 296 days | | Zhou Enlai | |
| Director of the Military Control Commission of the Ministry of Education |||||||||
| – | | Zhu Kui 朱奎 (1916–1982) | 26 July 1968 | 22 June 1970 | 1 year, 331 days | | Zhou Enlai | |
| From 22 June 1970 to 17 January 1975, the post of Minister of Education was abolished. |||||||||
| Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China |||||||||
| 5 | | Zhou Rongxin 周荣鑫 (1917–1976) | 17 January 1975 | 13 April 1976 | 1 year, 87 days | | Zhou Enlai ↓ Hua Guofeng | |
| Vacant 13 April 1976 – 25 January 1977 |||||||||
| 6 | | Liu Xiyao 刘西尧 (1916–2013) | 25 January 1977 | 23 February 1979 | 2 years, 29 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education | Hua Guofeng | |
| 7 | | Jiang Nanxiang 项怀诚 (1913–1988) | 23 February 1979 | 4 May 1982 | 3 years, 70 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education | Hua Guofeng ↓ Zhao Ziyang | |
| 8 | | He Dongchang 何东昌 (1923–2014) | 4 May 1982 | 18 June 1985 | 3 years, 45 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education Vice Chairman of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council | Zhao Ziyang | |
| Director of the State Education Commission of the People's Republic of China |||||||||
| 9 | | Li Peng 李鹏 (1928–2019) | 18 June 1985 | 12 April 1988 | 2 years, 299 days | Vice Premier of the State Council Head of the State Council's Electronic Revitalization Leading Group Secretary of the CCP Secretariat Member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee Acting Premier of the State Council | Zhao Ziyang ↓ Li Peng | |
| 10 | | Li Tieying 李铁映 (born 1936) | 12 April 1988 | 29 March 1993 | 4 years, 351 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the State Education Commission Member of the CCP Politburo State Councillor | Li Peng | |
| 11 | | Zhu Kaixuan 朱开轩 (1932–2016) | 29 March 1993 | 10 March 1998 | 4 years, 346 days | Alternate Member of the CCP Central Committee Director of the NPC Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee | Li Peng | |
| Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China |||||||||
| 12 | | Chen Zhili 陈至立 (born 1942) | 10 March 1998 | 17 March 2003 | 5 years, 7 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education | Zhu Rongji | |
| 13 | | Zhou Ji 周济 (born 1946) | 17 March 2003 | 31 October 2009 | 6 years, 228 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education | Wen Jiabao | |
| 14 | | Yuan Guiren 袁贵仁 (born 1950) | 31 October 2009 | 2 July 2016 | 6 years, 245 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education | Wen Jiabao ↓ Li Keqiang | |
| 15 | | Chen Baosheng 陈宝生 (born 1956) | 2 July 2016 | 20 August 2021 | 5 years, 49 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education | Li Keqiang | |
| 16 | | Huai Jinpeng 怀进鹏 (born 1962) | 20 August 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 208 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Education | Li Keqiang ↓ Li Qiang | |