To vigorously promote fairness in education, Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said in his report to the 18th National Congress that educational resources will focus on rural and remote areas, poor families and non-Han ethnic groups.

Hu said that efforts will also be made to promote equal education for the children of migrant workers and to increase financial aid to poverty-stricken families for their children's education.

The central government has been making efforts in this direction over the past decade. But what has been done is far from enough to bridge the gap between the quality of education in urban and rural areas. That is why Hu's report particularly mentioned the shift in focus to the underdeveloped and disadvantaged areas.

Despite the free nine-year compulsory education for all rural students, there is still a long way to go before students in rural areas will be able to receive education of a similar quality to that enjoyed by their urban counterparts.

The teaching facilities and incomes of teachers in rural areas, poverty-stricken areas in particular, leave a lot to be desired compared with their urban counterparts.

Rural students who receive free university education are required to return to teach in rural schools for a certain period of time before they leave for other jobs, but preferential policies are needed to encourage good teachers to teach in rural areas and financial aid is needed to improve the physical condition of students.

What is even more important is the awareness of local government leaders. It would not be that difficult, for instance, for children of migrant workers to receive the same education as their urban counterparts if a local government was willing to provide the resources.

Fairness in education is not just related to the fate of individuals, it is also the basic guarantee for the country's future. Only by providing equal access to educational resources to as many children as possible will the largest number of talents be cultivated.

This response to the growing calls for greater educational equality will hopefully expedite the process of bridging the education gaps and promote equality in education.

(China Daily 11/14/2012 page9)