Yunnan special subsidies help kids go back to school
By Wu Jiachun (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-05-04 05:51

Li Zhilin, a 10-year-old boy from a poverty-stricken village in Yunnan Province, happily picked up his satchel and went to school again this spring, thanks to special government subsidies.

Li, a primary school student in grade two, had to drop his studies last year because his poor parents could not afford his tuition, which was about 110 yuan (US$13.30) each semester.

Like many other young children in his village in southwestern China, Li had to put down his textbooks and become a shepherd to support his family.

This spring, Li got a special gift from the local government, which included a full set of free textbooks worth 70 yuan (US$8.4), exemption from miscellaneous fees amounting to 40 yuan (US$4.8) and 150 yuan (US$18.1) in living allowance.

"The heartening spring rain falls at the proper season," Li cited the words of renowned ancient poet Tu Fu to describe his excited mood when he again sat down in his classroom.

Li is just one of the 2.5 million primary and middle school students in acutely poverty-stricken rural areas of the province who are receiving free education this spring.

He Tianchun, director of the provincial education department, said the central and provincial governments have jointly allocated nearly 1 billion yuan (US$121 million) in Yunnan this year to help 2.5 million young children resume their studies by paying 40 per cent of their fees.

Particularly, every primary school student such as Li could get 260 yuan (US$31.3) in subsidies this year, and every middle school student could get 450 yuan (US$54.4), said He.

In March this year, Premier Wen Jiabao said in his annual work report of the State Council that the central government would provide free education for rural students with financial difficulties starting this year.

The policy will help 14 million students in 592 counties designated as priorities of the State's poverty-relief work during the nine-year compulsory education stage.

Starting from 2007, all rural students will enjoy such benefits so that all are able to complete compulsory education for free, Wen said in his work report at the National People's Congress this March.

He Tianchun said the provincial government of Yunnan last year plunged 11.2 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in education, rising 20 per cent year-on-year, and this year, investment in education is expected to increase by at least 15 per cent.

(China Daily 05/04/2005 page2)

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