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China eliminates over 8 mln illiterates during 2001-2004 College students reach 14 mln 164.4 bln yuan spent on compulsory rural education in 2004 Over 90% of Chinese have access to free nine-year compulsory education China aims to increase education investment to 4% of GDP Enrollment rate for girls at primary schools reaches 98.9%

   BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- China aims to provide free nine-year compulsory education in the rural areas in 2010 and for all the students across the country in 2015.

    Han Jin, director of the development and planning department of the Ministry of Education, said Chinese government will increase investment in education to realize the goal.

    At a press conference here Thursday, Han said China will provide all students from poor families in acute poverty-stricken rural areas with free textbooks and exempt them from paying miscellaneous fees in 2007. Among them, the boarding students will receive living allowances.

    "By enjoying the policy, all students from poor families are able to finish the compulsory education," said Han.

    So far, the policy has been applied to 36 million students in the rural areas, Han added.

    According to a national report on China's education for all released at the press conference, government investment accounted for 82.7 percent and 76.6 percent of the total costs of primary and junior middle school education in rural areas in 2004, up 16 percent and 14 percent over 2000 respectively.

    China will improve the mechanism to ensure funding for education, with government investment as the mainstay, said the report. Enditem