There were 16 million college and university students in China at the end of last year, the Ministry of Education announced at the weekend.

The number itself may not indicate much, but a comparison with the figure of 7 million from 1998 does illustrate a tremendous expansion of further education.

Such fast growth is rare, if not unprecedented, in the development of higher education worldwide.

Today, about 15 percent of those aged between 18 and 22 years old can receive higher education.

Under internationally cited standards, further education in China is no longer only for the elite but has been popularized. This is a marvelous achievement.

The rapid expansion in scale, however, has also ignited a huge controversy. Some people blame the speedy growth for causing many side effects.

Despite the arguments, the education authorities have their reasons for carrying out this ambitious scheme.

Development was earlier held back by weak economic foundations. Between 1985 and 1998, the number of college students increased by only 4.4 percent a year on average, compared with the average annual growth rate of 32 percent from 1998 to 2002.

Further education could no longer meet society's demand for talented people or meet the educational requirements of the Chinese people, who were becoming wealthier.

Thus the expansion plan was developed. The authorities are determined to continue the trend. There are expected to be 27 million college and university students by 2010.

The authorities' arguments for boosting further education are sound, and their bold initiatives for development should be welcomed. But one point should be stressed: Quality should never be sacrificed for the sake of speed.

The quick expansion of further education has been accompanied by a strain on educational resources at colleges and universities. This poses the even greater challenge of ensuring that graduates are churned out for society not only in sufficient numbers but also with sufficient quality.

Colleges and universities are very busy dealing with the huge influx of students but they have not done enough to ensure the professional and moral quality of students.

Without quality as the backbone, the mere numbers of students will become meaningless.

(China Daily October 21, 2003)