Education Minister Zhou Ji said that compulsory education in western rural areas will be improved this year through the establishment of boarding schools.

He was speaking at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

Compulsory education has been in place since 1986, and is considered a cornerstone of educational development, industrialization and modernization.

However, students in nearly 8 percent of areas in western China still fall through the gaps in the system.

"Central government will invest 10 billion yuan (aboust US$1.3 billion) to build 7,730 boarding schools for 2.03 million students in 955 counties in the next four years," Zhou said.

"In the future, students in these areas will no longer have to walk a long way everyday to school," he explained, "They will be able to study in spacious and well-lit classrooms and stay in safe and comfortable dormitories."

Zhou said high priority will also be attached to meeting the special learning and living needs of students from poorer families.

Last autumn, the government earmarked funds to provide free textbooks for 24 million students from poor families in the central and western regions.

Zhou promised that they would continue to be supported to at least 2007.

Modern distance education and renovation of old schoolhouses are also being considered to improve education in western areas.

(China.org.cn by Unisumoon January 28, 2005)