No alternative to better education quality
Updated: 2016-03-14 08:19
By Xiong Bingqi(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
A young female teacher teaches students in class in a rural village. [Photo/IC] |
Education emerged as a significant livelihood issue during the meetings of provincial people's congresses and political consultative conferences before the ongoing annual sessions of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, the country's top advisory body. At the fourth meeting of the 12th Shaanxi people's congress, provincial governor Lou Qinjian said Shaanxi would introduce 13 years of free education during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period. This means children in Shaanxi will receive free education for 13 years-one-year preschool education, nine-year compulsory education and three-year senior high school education.
Some people suppose Shaanxi is introducing the 13-year free education program to alleviate poverty and promote the central and western regions' development. However, it is not necessary to extend the free-education program to the developed eastern region because the high school education rate is already high there. A majority of families in the eastern region can afford to pay for their children's high school education.
Some other people want preferential implementation of free education. For instance, they want the authorities to encourage rural students to choose vocational schools by making such courses free. This is important because, they say, if high school education is also free, secondary vocational education will have few takers.
But this contention is debatable. China has implemented 12 to 15 years of free education in some counties, most of them being in the underdeveloped regions. And there has been nothing to suggest free education is meaningless in the developed regions.
Although the central government hasn't included 12 to 15 years of free education in the national education program, local authorities should consider extending it according to their actual situations, in order to improve people's basic education and ease their financial burden.
- China's education development medium-high level globally: minister
- CPPCC member suggests reducing poverty through education
- China to deliver five-year plan on education
- International Women's Day ties gender pay gap to education
- Student safety is first priority for education minister
- Education: Internet 'classrooms' for lifelong learning
- Fiscal subsidies for Gansu preschool education
- Building education superhighway for youth
- Kids of Chinese expats deserve education in language and culture
- Global health entering new era: WHO chief
- Brazil's planning minister steps aside after recordings revelation
- Vietnam, US adopt joint statement on advancing comprehensive partnership
- European border closures 'inhumane': UN refugee agency
- Japan's foreign minister calls A-bombings extremely regrettable
- Fukushima impact unprecedented for oceans: US expert
- Stars of Lijiang River: Elderly brothers with white beards
- Wealthy Chinese children paying money to learn British manners
- Military-style wedding: Fighter jets, grooms in dashing uniforms
- Striking photos around the world: May 16 - May 22
- Robots help elderly in nursing home in east China
- Hanging in the air: Chongqing holds rescue drill
- 2.1-ton tofu finishes in two hours in central China
- Six things you may not know about Grain Buds
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Liang avoids jail in shooting death
China's finance minister addresses ratings downgrade
Duke alumni visit Chinese Embassy
Marriott unlikely to top Anbang offer for Starwood: Observers
Chinese biopharma debuts on Nasdaq
What ends Jeb Bush's White House hopes
Investigation for Nicolas's campaign
Will US-ASEAN meeting be good for region?
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |