The Chinese government will not let "any poor student remain out of school" and will focus on improving equality in education, China' s Minister of Education Yuan Guiren said Monday.

Yuan made the remarks at an awards ceremony for university scholarship winners and advanced units in providing financial assistance to college students held Monday.

After years of unremitting efforts, China had established a well-developed financial aid system in Chinese colleges that helps provide education to all classes in Chinese society, said Yuan.

For educational work in the next phase, the Chinese government will continue to work to improve equality in education, and supporting poor students will be one of the major programs for educational authorities, he said.

China spent 34.72 billion yuan (US$5.1 billion) on financial aid for college students last year, including scholarships, stipends, loans and allowances, according to data from the Ministry of Education.

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2010)