Literate Society Promised in China's 10-year Plan

Source: Xinhua

Universal preschool education and a pledge to eliminate illiteracy are among the reforms of the country's education system published in the national education plan for the next decade.

The pledges are among a host of promises listed in the "Outline of China's National Plan for Medium and Long- Term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020)," which was published in full Thursday.

"The strategic goals to be attained by 2020 are to basically modernize education; shape a learning society; and turn China into a country rich in human resources," says the document.

It says that preschool education should be basically universal by 2020, and the nine-year compulsory education policy should be consolidated.

The enrolment rate for senior high school should be 90 percent of those of school age, while the enrolment rate for higher education should be 40 percent of high school graduates.

It also sets the goal of eliminating illiteracy among young and middle-aged people by the end of the decade.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council have issued a notice requiring local Party committees and governments to carefully implement the national education outline.

The outline vows to spare no efforts to "run every school well and bring quality education to every student. No child shall be allowed to drop out due to family financial difficulties."

Minister of Education Yuan Guiren said the outline addressed major issues faced by the education system.

The outline says issues about providing equal compulsory education opportunities for children of migrant workers in cities shall be addressed.
It also says that by 2020, the quality of compulsory education shall be balanced in all regions, ensuring school-aged children and adolescents have equal access to quality compulsory education.

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Editor: Robert Wang