China's national education level to be greatly upgraded in

Chinanews, Beijing, June 13 – Over the next three years, China's national educational level will be greatly upgraded. The newly emerging workforce will mostly consist of people graduating from high schools. By 2010, about 10% of the working population will have received higher education, the People's Daily reported.   The task is included in China's national education development program in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan Period (2006-2010). The program was recently approved by the State Council, together with the requirement that local authorities implement the program without delay.   According to this program, by 2010, China will implement the nine-year compulsory education nationwide. The net enrolment rate of primary school can reach 99% and the gross enrolment rate of junior high school can reach 98%. Illiteracy rate among the youth will be reduced to 2%. The gross enrolment rate of senior high school can reach 80%. There is a relatively equal number of vocational secondary schools and regular high schools. About 30 million young people can receive education in colleges and universities and the gross enrolment rate of colleges can reach 25%. Progress will have been made in adult education and continuing education. About 100 million working population will be trained every year.   The program makes different development goals for different regions. It requires that less developed regions should improve their educational level and make it catch up with the national average standards. Educational level for moderately developed regions should be greatly upgraded. Meanwhile, regions that enjoy advanced educational level should set an example for others in education modernization. In these regions, preschool education and middle school education should be made accessible to everyone.   At present, the per capita schooling years among Chinese people are not very high. Compared with some developed countries, Chinese laborers lag behind people in these countries by at least three schooling years.