Program to tackle child poverty

The State Council's weekly policy briefing on Jan 30 in Beijing. [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]

The government will boost the nutrition and education of millions of children up to the national average by the end of 2020, according to a press releases issued by the Ministry of Education at the State Council's weekly policy briefing on Jan 30.

In the targeted 680 counties, newborns will be able to receive government-funded health examinations. Programs to eradicate disease and provide compulsive education from primary to junior high school will also be available to children in these counties, through a development guideline for children from impoverished backgrounds issued by the Ministry of Education.

The program ensures that their health and level of educational will meet the national average by 2020.

The central government has invested 218 million yuan ($34.9 million) on health checks for newborns in impoverished areas and subsidies to improve nutrition for children in such areas have increased from 100 million yuan in 2012 to 500 million yuan in 2014, the paper said.

A nutrition program in rural China has reduced the proportion of students who do not eat three meals per day from 10.4 percent in 2012 to 7.1 percent in 2013.

In terms of children's education, 67.5 percent of children are going to kindergarten, 10.9 percent up from three years ago.

Children's development in rural areas is lower than the national average, and early government intervention is an effective way to help eliminate poverty in these areas, the State Council said.