Free and compulsory education policy pays off in China

China had embarked on a policy to make education compulsory in 1986. Nine years have passed since the policy was adopted by the government. Now the time has come to reap rich harvest.   

The compulsory education policy paid rich dividends in the course of time. According to Education Minister Zhou Ji, under the scheme, the government could be able to cover over 160 million students of primary and middle schools. These students belong to both rural and urban areas. 
 
The new policy was instrumental in effecting a turnaround in the education scenario. The country witnessed a quantum jump in enrolments all because of the implementation of the policy of universalisation of education. According to estimation, the enrolment, in the entire country, touched 98 per cent mark. This percentage is derived from the admissions to the 3, 00,900 primary and 57,900 middle schools. 
 
To see through successful implementation of the scheme, the Chinese government invested billions of yuan in setting up schools, especially boarding schools. Zhou Ji said as many as 8,000 boarding schools were established by the government across the country over the years. Besides, it undertook repairs of dilapidated school buildings and improvement of their conditions.
 
As per the nine year old education policy children above six years of age are entitled to free education at primary as well as secondary schools.
 
Stress was also laid by the government to narrow the gap between the urban and the rural areas in the quality of education. This they could be able to achieve by offering rural teachers salaries and emolument at par with urban counterparts. 
 
Wage reform released by the Chinese government among many other sops assured rural teachers payment no less than that drawn by local civil servants. To rope in teachers and colleges students for teaching in rural hinter land the government initiated many incentives. The response was overwhelming.