Improving education a priority

In 1993, the government pledged to increase spending on education to 4 percent of China's GDP. Last year, it reiterated that pledge, which unfortunately has not fulfilled so far, says an article on eastday.com. Excerpts:

The target of allocating 4 percent of GDP to education was based on 1993 figures. Eighteen years have passed since then, and today the country's GDP is significantly higher. But the government is still to meet the target.

Last year, the State Council issued the National Outline for Medium- and Long-Term Educational Reform and Development (2010-2020), which included the timeline for achieving the target.

Let us hope the target will be met next year according to the timeline. Education is very important for overall cultural development, innovation and thus the future of the entire country.

Since the country's financial condition is sound today, the government should shoulder its responsibility and ensure that the education sector gets the attention and funds it deserves.

Inadequate spending on education has already created many problems for the country. For instance, uneven distribution of educational resources has given rise to the so-called school-choosing fees in many cities, which in turn have aggravated the already unbalanced distribution of resources. As a result the quality of education has suffered in many areas.

China is still a fast-growing economy, and even a small share (4 percent of GDP) of its economic gains can make a big difference to educational development. Let us hope the government allocates 4 percent of GDP to education at least in 2012.

People's livelihood

People's livelihood was in focus of the annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, because improving people's livelihood is the main goal of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

Almost all the broad goals of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) have been achieved.

In the last five years, China has registered an average annual GDP growth of 11.2 percent, scrapped the age-old agricultural tax in 2006, made compulsory education both in urban and rural areas free by 2010, and established a basic medical insurance system and a new rural cooperative medical care system that has benefited urban dwellers and rural residents both.

These moves have helped improve people's livelihood. But a lot more has to be done to further fulfill people's needs such as higher education and better healthcare, and solve important social and economic problems that include soaring commodity and housing prices.

In retrospect, by prioritizing development, China has succeeded in overcoming many of those challenges.

Hence, the government should still prioritize development during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. But it has to expedite the transformation of its development model at the same time.

People have high hopes from the country's next stage of development. To live up to their expectation and improve their livelihood further, the government should be committed to its goals, and work out scientific plans and set a timetable to meet those goals.

(China Daily 03/16/2011 page9)