China has decided to keep its enrollment rate at primary schools above 99 percent, and increase that of junior middle schools to above 90 percent in the next five years, according to Xu Shaoshi, deputy secretary-general of the State Council.

Statistics show that over 190 million people have received nine- year compulsory education since China initiated the campaign 15 years ago, which has been realized among 85 percent of the areas in the country so far.

The enrollment rate at primary schools reached 99.1 percent in 2000, up nearly 3 percentage points over 1990, and the enrollment rate of junior middle schools stood at 88.6 percent last year, according to official sources.

Raising the coverage rate of compulsory education across the country will be taken as a key task in China's 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005), said Xu.

China will take measures to narrow the gaps in the field of education among girls and boys, disabled and healthy children, and rural and urban areas, as well as to train more teachers and improve school construction in underdeveloped regions, Xu said.

(Xinhua 04/27/2001)