This is what UNESCO's education report says

UNESCO released the Education For All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report 2008 on November 29. It assesses countries' success in meeting their respective education goals. Following are excerpts from the report on China's education development:

China is one of the countries where efforts to reduce illiteracy have been strong and sustained. The illiteracy rate fell from 22 percent in 1990 to 9 percent in 2000. The substantial increase in the average adult literacy rate among developing countries from 1985 to 1994 is mainly because of a substantial reduction in the number of adult illiterates in China. These results stem largely from increased primary school participation, highly targeted adult literacy programs and the dramatic development of literate environments.

Scarcity of schools or classrooms can be a barrier to primary schooling. In China, the government has expanded the physical infrastructure of the basic education system in recent years.