Why were government officials sent to May 7 cadre schools?

During the Cultural Revolution, government officials—referred to as cadres—were sent to "May 7 cadre schools" as part of a broader effort to reduce bureaucratic "airs" and combat elitism within the Chinese Communist Party.1

These schools were typically farms operated by major urban units where officials were required to live in primitive conditions for periods ranging from several months to several years. The primary objectives of this experience were:1

• Manual Labor: Cadres were forced to leave their offices to engage in rigorous physical work, intended to bridge the gap between intellectual and manual labor.1
• Ideological Remolding: While on the farms, officials underwent intensive, supervised study of political ideology to ensure their thinking aligned with the revolutionary goals of Mao Zedong.1

By forcing bureaucrats to participate in agricultural production and collective study, the leadership aimed to transform the administration into a less elitist, more popularly based system.21