China had 14,832 secondary vocational and technical institutions by 2007, which enrolled more than 8.1 million new students last year, an increase of 622,000 over the year before, according to the Ministry of Education.

By the end of 2007, about 19.9 million students in total were studying in the vocational institutions, an increase of about 1.8 million over the previous year, according to a report on the development of educational undertakings released by the Ministry.

In China, students can choose to pursue further study in high school and then go to college after nine years compulsory education (including six years in primary school and three years in middle school), or they can go to vocational schools to learn applicable and useful techniques, which are important for them to hunt jobs such as technicians.

The report also says that 99.46 percent of the school age boys go to primary schools while the figure is 99.52 for girls.

More than 27 million students went to higher institutions last year, with a gross rate of higher education admission hitting 23 percent, said the report, adding that the postgraduate enrollment saw an increase of 5.2 percent over the previous year.

The country has 22,322 private training institutions, which offers on-the-job or part time training for more than 8.8 million people, said the report.

(Xinhua News Agency May 7, 2008)