One may not study with the goal of becoming an official, but officials must be learned to fulfill their duties.

This is a Confucian belief from The Book of Xun Zi. The original lines say, "If a man of virtue becomes an official, he will be able to gain fame for the ruler and alleviate worries of the populace. It is cheating if the incapable hold official posts; it is stealing if the incompetent receive high pays. One may not study with the goal of becoming an official, but officials must be learned to fulfill their duties."

Xun Zi and Confucius both emphasized that learning is the prerequisite and the base for starting a career as an official. To become an official should not be the sole aim of study, but one must not stop learning after becoming an official. Rather, one ought to continue with study and cultivation, in order to realize the goal of governance for all under heaven. It is no different from cheating and stealing if one is not capable or competent to serve in a post.

Xi Jinping has used this quotation and asked the leading officials to continue their study to improve their performance. At a celebration assembly of the 80th anniversary of the Central Party School and the opening of its 2013 spring semester held in March 2013, he said: Whether the leading officials improve themselves through study is not a personal matter, but a big issue concerning the development of the Party and the country.

學者非必為仕，而仕者必為學

“學者非必為仕，而仕者必為學”，出自《荀子》，原文為“君子進則能益上之譽而損下之憂。不能而居之，誣也；無益而厚受之，竊也。學者非必為仕，而仕者必如學。”荀子和孔子一樣，強調“學”是“仕”的前提和基礎。為官從政不是為學的唯一目標，但是為官者卻不能認為達到了目的就可以停止“為學”，反而要繼續學習、提高修養，才能實現“齊家治國平天下”的理想。如果才學不勝而享厚俸，則無異于行騙盜竊。

習近平引用“學者非必為仕，而仕者必為學”，就是強調領導干部加強學習，不斷提高工作水平和質量的重要性。2013年3月，他在中央黨校建校80周年慶祝大會暨2013年春季學期開學典禮上引用這一古語，指出領導干部學習不學習不僅僅是自己的事情，本領大小也不僅僅是自己的事情，而是關乎黨和國家事業發展的大事情。