Based on Marx's theories of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, this study tries to explore the basic guidelines of education in Mainland China and then to realize its role of education in political and economic development. Communist China's basic guideline for educational work is: "Education must serve proletarian politics and be combined with productive labor." According to the Marxists, education is derived from the productive labor of the society and is an instrument of class struggles. They also maintained that in a definite socioeconomic formation, the superstructure is always in the service of the economic basis. Education constitutes an important component of the superstructure and is expected to serve the same purpose. Therefore, with political and economic development in Mainland China, the basic guideline of education indicates the different meanings at different periods.