China Aiming at Enhancing Vocational Education for Rural Population

China has pledged to enhance vocational education and training for rural residents in coming years to secure balanced development between urban and rural areas.

The improvement of rural human resources is crucial for agricultural advancement and other strategic government initiatives, according to a guideline posted Tuesday on the Ministry of Education's website.

The guideline sets a target of providing vocational training to 80 million rural residents annually, but does not specify a deadline.

To achieve that target, the guideline proposes a set of favorable policies, including using more government funds to cover students' tuition at rural secondary vocational schools and enhanced cooperation between rural and urban vocational training institutions.

It also highlights a plan to set up more training centers for migrant workers living in cities.

A 2010 census indicated that the Chinese mainland's population reached 1.34 billion people as of November 2010, with the rural population coming in at 680 million.

Source: Xinhua