Cartoon by Dai Lei/cartoon.chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING - A new national campaign will be launched in China to alleviate the heavy workloads of students in the compulsory education system, the Ministry of Education said Tuesday.

The reform of the curriculum planning and examination system should be sped up to lighten students' burdens and improve the quality of the nation's education, said Liu Limin, vice-minister of education.

A quality-oriented education should be promoted at primary and secondary schools in order to cultivate students' interest in learning, said Liu, adding that school performance should be evaluated in a comprehensive manner, not solely on students' test scores.

The ministry said public schools that provide compulsory education are prohibited from launching selection tests in the recruitment process, and students' awards in certain subjects should not be used as a basis for admission.

The ministry will also intensify supervision over the practices of public schools and publicize any violations.