India’s neighbour, China, is all set to provide free high school education to poor students, in an attempt to ensure they join school and study further. Zeng Tianshan, the Vice President of the National Institute of Education Sciences, has reportedly said that this is being done since the country’s high school enrolment rate is still lower than other developed countries.
“The expansion of senior high school enrollment will not only help enhance the quality of higher education but increase the average years of schooling. Now the average is just 10.1 years. The development of senior high education is of great importance to improving the quality of the population,” Zeng was quoted as saying in an IANS report .
At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee , China said it will prioritise paying the fees of students who hail from families with limited income.
It has been estimated that by 2020, China will provide free education to every student in their nation, and by that time, the overall enrolment rate may hit 90 percent.
Enhancing the quality of education in remote areas of China, is also high on the priority list of Chinese experts.
Soon students in vocational schools like those receiving senior high education may also be exempted from paying fees. This will benefit nearly 20 million secondary vocational school students .