China's State Council, or the central government, issued a decision on vigorously boosting vocational education Wednesday.

The document orders governments of various levels to "enhance their sense of urgency and responsibility" and adopt vigorous measures to boost the fast and healthy development of vocational education.

The document sets targets for reform and development of the vocational education.

According to the document, the enrollment of medium-level vocational education should be raised to 8 million by 2010, or roughly the same as regular senior high school enrollment. The enrollment of higher vocational education should account for more than half of the entire enrollment of institutions of higher learning by 2010.

"During the 11th Five-Year Program period (2006-2010), vocational education should yield more than 25 million medium-level graduates and more than 11 million graduates of higher level," says the document.

It also calls for promoting development of various sorts of vocational training to improve quality of Chinese workers universally and markedly.

The document calls for establishing a vocational education with Chinese characteristics to meet the need of life-long learning and market demand.

It says the government welcomes funds from various channels to enter the sector.

It also says that level and quality of vocational education schools and colleges should be improved.

(Xinhua News Agency November 10, 2005)