Chinese Premier Li Keqiang asks for fair and quality education

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has asked the government to give top priority to compulsory education, specifically the allocation of educational funds and optimisation of the country's education expenditure structure, in order to promote fair and quality education.

Li made the remarks during a State Council executive meeting on Monday, according to a governmental press release.

It was decided at the meeting that the allocation of both available funds and increased investment in the field of education should prioritise areas of deep poverty and the needs of families within them. In addition, the creation of luxury schools is to be strictly forbidden, as the extra funding



will be used for educational purposes only.

Further, measures should be taken to ensure average salaries for teachers at both primary and secondary schools are not less than those of civil servants in the same region.

The meeting also noted that both allowances for teachers in remote areas who have to deal with harsh conditions and living subsidies for rural teachers should be granted on time.

China implements a nine-year compulsory education period, which includes five or six years of primary education and then three or four years in the secondary system. Under law, this must be tuition-free and reasonably located for the convenience of children.