In the early days of Yan's mass education campaign, he believed that the catastrophe in China was the "four diseases" of people's poverty, ignorance, weakness and private interests, and advocated that people should be taught literacy first, and then the "four major educations" of people's livelihood, literature, health and people should be implemented to cultivate knowledge, productivity, strength and unity, so as to create "new people".

He also advocated the "six-coordinated construction" of politics, education, economy, self-defense, health and customs in rural areas in order to achieve the goal of strengthening the country and saving the country.