KUNMING -- Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang called for deepened efforts to advance the high-quality development of basic education during a recent inspection tour in Southwest China's Yunnan province.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited the province on Monday and Tuesday.

In Wenshan Zhuang and Miao autonomous prefecture, where he visited a kindergarten, a primary school and a middle school, he stressed that building China into a leading country in education begins with strengthening basic education.

As a border region with mainly ethnic minority populations, Yunnan should make overall efforts to improve the quality of education, solve the difficulties and challenges faced by small rural schools and left-behind children in rural areas, and provide education that satisfies people of all ethnic groups, Ding said.

He also urged the highest sense of responsibility in organizing the national college entrance examination in Yunnan — which kicks off on Sunday — to ensure flawless operation through meticulous and comprehensive preparations.

At Yunnan Normal University, Ding learned about the training of teachers for basic education, and called on normal schools to focus on their primary mission of teacher education, deepen reforms to teacher training models, and continuously contribute high-quality teaching professionals.