Chinese premier stresses quality, equality of basic education

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for efforts to improve quality and promote equality of basic education so that the public will be content.

In an instruction to a national meeting on basic education held here Monday, Li said that the country should provide more support for education development in impoverished regions, ensure a balanced development of compulsory education and address the problems such as children from needy families dropping out of school.

Efforts will be made to ensure children of migrant workers receive compulsory education in locations where their parents work, develop preschool education, extend the coverage of high school education, promote Internet-based education services, enhance the security of schools and guarantee teachers' salaries, he said.

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said at the meeting that Li's instructions will be faithfully implemented.

Party committees and governments at all levels should list basic education as a priority, take effective measures to implement the central government's policies and step up the overseeing of schools, Sun said.