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.
学者非必为仕，而仕者必为学
“学者非必为仕，而仕者必为学”，出自《荀子》，原文为“君子进则能益上之誉而损下之忧。不能而居之，诬也；无益而厚受之，窃也。学者非必为仕，而仕者必如学。”荀子和孔子一样，强调“学”是“仕”的前提和基础。为官从政不是为学的唯一目标，但是为官者却不能认为达到了目的就可以停止“为学”，反而要继续学习、提高修养，才能实现“齐家治国平天下”的理想。如果才学不胜而享厚俸，则无异于行骗盗窃。
习近平引用“学者非必为仕，而仕者必为学”，就是强调领导干部加强学习，不断提高工作水平和质量的重要性。2013年3月，他在中央党校建校80周年庆祝大会暨2013年春季学期开学典礼上引用这一古语，指出领导干部学习不学习不仅仅是自己的事情，本领大小也不仅仅是自己的事情，而是关乎党和国家事业发展的大事情。