The Ministry of Education reported on April 28 that education in China developed steadily in 2003. More opportunities to study in school were offered and the gross school attendance rates at all levels continued to rise.

In 2003, the prevalence of compulsory education in China expanded further. A total of 51 counties and districts and 12 county-level units passed the "two basic requirements" evaluation: that is, they realized nine-year compulsory education and basically eliminated illiteracy among youth. Now, 91.8 percent of Chinese live in areas where the two basic requirements are met. Some 98.6 percent of primary school age children entered school and the middle school attendance rate reached 92.7 percent, up 2.7 percent year-on-year. The dropout rates in primary and junior middle school were 0.34 percent and 2.84 percent, respectively.

The senior middle school gross attendance rate rose 1 percent year-on-year, to 43.8 percent. Junior middle school graduates enjoyed more opportunities to enter senior grades.

The number of students enrolled at institutions of higher learning reached 19 million, 3 million more than the previous year. The gross university entrance rate hit 17 percent, up 2 percent from 2002. Postgraduate enrollment rose 32.7 percent year-on-year, and the number of graduate students studying at university rose by 30 percent.

Private schools saw rapid growth in 2003. There were 810,000 students studying at private universities in 2003, 1.6 times the number recorded in 2002. The number of students in private senior middle schools jumped 36.7 percent, now accounting for 7.2 percent of all senior high school students.

The gross preschool entrance rate reached 37.4 percent, up 0.6 percent, while more than 60 percent of disabled children were enrolled in ordinary schools or ordinary schools with special classes.

Despite this progress, there are still a number of problems to be solved. The western region and other impoverished areas still encounter difficulties in realizing the "two basics requirements", while vocational education must be improved as do conditions at universities.

(People's Daily May 9, 2004)