The Chinese government has approved an education reform plan for the next decade that aims to prioritize the development of education while ensuring fairness in the system.

A meeting of the State Council, or China's Cabinet, approved the final version of the plan on Wednesday, said a statement issued by the State Council yesterday.

The development of education ranging from pre-school education to vocational education in rural areas will be a priority in the country's overall development programs, according to the plan.

Government investment will increase steadily to support the education sector, with the ratio of government's education expenditure in terms of gross domestic product to be 4 percent by 2012, according to the meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.

In 2008 the ratio was 3.48 percent, compared with the world average of 4.5 percent.

The plan, released at the end of February for public scrutiny, was seen as setting a tone for the development of education in China, which has long suffered from problems such as funding shortages and imbalances between rural and urban areas.

(Xinhua News Agency May 7, 2010)