Beijing authorities have
agreed to increase spending on education starting this year,
particularly in outlying regions.
"In the next few years, our annual spending on the
education sector is targeted to rise to 40 billion yuan (US$5.1
billion), up from last year's 23.5 billion yuan (US$3 billion),"
said Liu Limin, an official in charge of the Beijing Municipal
Education Committee.
Beijing's Party chief Liu Qi
had promised, in his report to the ongoing 10th Beijing Municipal
Congress of the Communist Party of China, that the city would
improve the quality of rural education and provide people with
"satisfactory" education.
The top official also said Beijing would strive to
meet the central government's goal to ensure education expenditure
accounts for four percent of regional GDP.
"I'm confident we can achieve that figure," said Liu,
the education official.
Last year, Beijing's 23.5 billion yuan of education
spending accounted for about three percent of local GDP, which
totaled 772 billion yuan.
"The total amount of expenditure is not the problem in
Beijing's education sector. Our problem lies mainly in spending the
money in a more rational way and making sure the investment goes to
the neediest areas."
Many Beijing primary and secondary schools have had
new classrooms, sports grounds and labs built in recent years due
to a vigorous injection of funds, but there is a clear gap between
rural and urban schools. As well as that, a handful of "key"
schools -- equipped with the best facilities and teachers and able
to woo top students -- continue to get special
treatment.
The good urban schools do not need to worry about
retaining teachers, with stacks of teaching applications from new
graduates each year.
But teacher retention is a problem in rural as well as
most ordinary urban schools, said Liu.
"We're working on new policies to increase teachers'
income and provide principals with adequate training to qualify
them as good managers of their schools," he said.
Liu did not reveal how much teachers' income would
rise, but said the average income of teachers would be at least
equal to that of government employees.
"We'll also encourage key schools to set up more
branches in outlying areas so that more children can receive better
education," he said.
In five years, the city would be providing free
compulsory nine-year education to all school age children, he
said.
Beijing scrapped school fees
for children in the 10 outlying districts and counties last
fall.
The move has been applauded by parents and students,
but some experts have proposed that Beijing as an international
metropolis should extend the period of compulsory education to 12
years from the present nine.
"The average number of years at school for Beijingers
lags far behind New York and Tokyo," said Zhang Binxian, a
researcher on education policy. "We should extend the compulsory
education period by three years, either from nursery school or
through senior high school."
China's nine-year compulsory
education lasts from primary school through junior high and the
government eliminated fees for rural children in 2005.
Beijing government has also
pledged 50 million yuan (US$6.4 million) to help poverty-stricken
students through college.
About 700,000 students are attending Beijing-based
universities and colleges, 15 to 20 percent of whom are from
poverty-stricken families, said Liu Limin.
The government's new budget will provide about 120
yuan (US$15.4) of subsidies for each needy student.
"We'll ensure all the poor students can afford to
drink hot water, take three showers a week and call their homes
during holidays," said Liu Limin.
(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2007)
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