The CCP CC's Propaganda Department and China's Ministry of Education issued a joint communication stating that 'political and ideological theory will be assigned to qualified teachers, but political loyalty is a prerequisite for being hired'. Clarifying that "the quality of teachers has failed to keep pace with the rapid demand of curriculum reform, and is in urgent need for an upgrade," the notice said that 'some universities in China have not put enough emphasis on teaching political and ideological theory' and that 'to improve the situation, authorities have implemented several measures, including the training of professional teachers for political and ideological theory, fine-tuning textbooks, reforming current teaching methods and building a comprehensive curriculum'. It added that "textbooks on political and ideological theory will be standardized. Several major publications on Marxist theory will also be listed as important references" and "scholarships will be provided to 150 outstanding research and teaching professionals every year".