There is still a marked gap in investment in education across
different regions in China, despite increased government funds, a
report said.
The report was released by a supervision team under the Ministry
of Education on Friday, after an investigation into the statistics
of the years 2000 to 2004 in 2,800 counties.
By the end of 2004, no public funds were assigned to primary
schools in 163 counties and secondary schools in 142 counties, and
the operation and maintenance of the schools had to depend on
miscellaneous sources.
In 2004, one student in an urban primary school could use 2.9
sets of teaching facilities by average, but one student in a rural
primary school only had one set of teaching facility. Looking at
this disparity by regions, the ratio in primary schools between
eastern regions and western regions was 1.8:1, and that of
secondary schools was 2.2:1.
The report showed that the number of qualified teachers in urban
primary schools was originally 2.2 percentage points higher than
rural ones, and now this figure has lowered to 1.5 percentage
points. If compared by regions, the number of qualified teachers in
West China was two percentage points lower than in East China, one
percent down from 2000.
Zheng Fuzhi, head of the supervision team, told Xinhua that
educational input in primary and secondary schools in the country's
rural areas has a six percent higher growth rate than in urban
areas. And the?ratio of educational investment between urban
and rural areas lowered to 1.2:1, from the original 1.5:1.
Budgeted educational investment for a rural primary school
student was 1,014 yuan in 2004, from 413 yuan in 2000. For a rural
secondary student it was 1,074 yuan, from 534 yuan in 2000.
The report said infrastructure of rural schools had almost
reached the same level with urban ones. From 2002 to 2004, newly
built and rebuilt classrooms and dorms in rural areas covered more
than 100 million square meters. Yet teaching facilities were still
in a short demand in West and Central China where most rural
populations live.
In 2004, every 100 rural secondary school students shared 3.2
sets of computers, the number of which increased by 60 percent from
that of 2000.
Earlier this year, Premier Wen
Jiabao said in a speech that the underdevelopment of public
services including education and public health is the weakest link
in building a new socialist countryside.
In a blueprint for a new socialist countryside drawn up by the
Chinese government, every farmer's child will be able to go to
school. In the next two years, China will make rural students
exempt?from all education tuition fees during the period of
compulsory education and provide free textbooks and boarding
subsidies for students from needy families. And in the next five
years, China will spend 218 billion yuan (US$27.25 billion) to help
improve education in its rural areas.
(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2006)