China's education spend rising each year, report says

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China's national education budget has risen by an average of 7.9 percent over five years ending 2016, new figures show.

The fiscal allocation for the sector stood at 3.1 trillion yuan (480 billion US dollars) last year, said a State Council report released on Saturday.

The ratio of the funds to GDP exceeded 4 percent each year since 2012, said the report delivered to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at its six-day bimonthly session.

"Overall funds for education in 2016 reached 3.9 trillion yuan, over 80 percent of which were provided by the government," it said.

Over half of the spending last year was used for the nine-year compulsory education program. Teacher salaries and student financial aid accounted for over half of the fiscal funds for education, 10.6 percentage points up from 2012, said the report.

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Fiscal funds for education transfer payments went increasingly to areas in most need in 2016, with 84 percent going to central and western regions, which have fallen behind the east.

Compared to 2012, education funds for every junior middle school student, elementary school student and kindergarten kid in rural areas increased last year by over 50 percent on average, said the report.

In 2016, the gross enrollment rates for preschool education reached 77.4 percent, 87.5 percent for senior middle schools, and 42.7 percent for higher education. The net enrollment rate for elementary schools was 99.9 percent, said the report.

Over 80 percent of children of migrant workers received education in cities where their parents work.

Since 2012, 698 billion yuan of financial aid has been granted to students from impoverished families.

According to the report, the government will continue to give priority to education. Spending on education will continue to rise, while society is encouraged to invest more in non-public education.

The focus of the education budget will shift toward rural areas, old revolutionary bases, ethnic minority areas, and border areas. The integrated development of compulsory education between urban and rural areas need to be strengthened, said the report.

Preschool, special and online education should be improved. Vocational education and training systems will be optimized. More junior middle school graduates will be encouraged to go to upper middle school, said the report.

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency