China's central government has earmarked 3.17 billion yuan (US$463.9 million) to cover tuition fees of city-born children in primary and junior high schools nationwide, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced Friday. The money is to fund city children's tuition and miscellaneous fees in the coming semester starting after the Spring Festival holiday, the MOF said in a statement on its website Friday.

The Lunar New Year, the most important Chinese holiday, falls on Feb. 14 this year.

The government announced in 2008 that city children would be exempted from paying tuition and miscellaneous fees for their nine-year compulsory education, which benefit more than 28.2 million children.

(Xinhua News Agency February 12, 2010)