Premier Li calls for education equality, scientific innovation

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (C), who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presides over the first plenary meeting of China's leading group on education and science and technology, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 31, 2013. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for efforts to promote education equality and scientific innovation in order to better support the country's social and economic development.

Li, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at the first plenary meeting of the country's leading group on education and science and technology.

Li applauded the country's achievements in education, science and technology in recent years, describing promoting education equality as a significant basis to ensure social fairness.

More talents need to be cultivated to narrow the country's urban-rural gap and regional disparity in educational resources, Li noted.

More educational resources should be allotted to China's relatively underdeveloped central and western regions and rural areas, including encouraging more prominent teachers to engage in the course of education in these areas, according to Li.

Li also asked education authorities to come up with more methods and do practical work in promoting fairness in education, adding that modern information technology should be employed to ensure rural students can enjoy equal access to educational resources in comparison with their urban peers.

Li called for promoting integration of scientific innovation and economic development through mobilizing researchers' creative vitality and making sure their achievements could help China's economic and social development.

Li said the key to promoting fair education and scientific innovation lies in reform.

Social funds was also encouraged to be mobilized to promote educational resource-sharing and reform of talent training mode, Li added.