China pledges to boost rural compulsory education

China's government is pledging to continue efforts to improve education in rural areas. At a press conference on Thursday, Vice Minister of Education, Liu Limin, said remarkable achievements had already been made, but more needed to be done to improve conditions at compulsory education schools in poverty-stricken regions.

It's not always a smooth ride to get to school.

In parts of rural China, many children are forced to drop out of school completely. That can be caused by poverty, family migration or simply putting the need for money and work before knowledge.

Universal coverage of compulsory education is a pressing issue. It's something that's stoked a media debate.

Vice Minister of Education, Liu Limin, outlined some of the main challenges, at a press conference on Thursday.

"In poverty-stricken rural areas, economic development is relatively slow. As a result, there's a relatively high cost for providing education. Many rural schools have poor teaching facilities, inadequate infrastructure for boarding, problematic operation, and an unstable teaching workforce. These issues have become the weak points of China's compulsory education system," Liu said.

But required improvement of school standards in rural areas will mean preferential policies will have to be implemented to boost teacher allocation and public funding.

"The top priority is to improve basic teaching conditions. Classrooms should meet certain standards. They should be equipped with the necessary teaching tools and appliances, textbooks and materials, and desks and chairs that meet proper standards. Each boarding student should be allocated a proper bed. Sports facilities should be installed that meet local conditions," Liu said.

The government is very much aware of the need to provide quality education for children in rural areas. The balanced development of compulsory education is crucial for the rejuvenation of the country and also the well-being of the people. It is an endeavour of great significance, and also a task of great responsibility.