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Free education for rural students in west
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-24 11:21
Rural students in China's relatively backward western region will enjoy free
compulsory education from 2006, according to a government decision.
The treatment will be granted to rural students in the central and eastern
regions in 2007, according to the decision made Friday at an executive meeting
of the State Council, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao.
In addition, students from poor rural families will be granted free
textbooks. Boarding students will receive subsidies to support their daily
lives, according to the decision.
The decision, which is on beefing up the guarantee system for rural
compulsory education, also orders raising the basic standard for public expenses
of rural primary and high schools, guaranteeing funds for schoolhouse
maintenance and guaranteeing timely disbursement of wages to teachers.
It says the central government will share the cost for schoolhouse
maintenance in the western and central regions with local governments.
"Various localities and departments should give priorities to the development
of rural compulsory education and strive to address the problem of inadequate
input to ensure sustained and health development of the sector," said the
decision.
In recent years, China has beefed up support of rural compulsory education,
which lacks adequate funds and high-quality teachers. Rate of dropouts is high
in many rural schools.
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