HU ANGANG

China should set up a new State education goal to extend its compulsory education term from the current nine years to 12 years.

Such an extension will enable China to popularize high school education nationwide in the next 10 years or more, and substantially raise the country's cultural level.

Consequently, China's population, which still poses a heavy burden on its economic growth, could help the country's long-term development by utilizing its potential to the full.

Such an extension can be carried out more promptly in urban areas than in rural areas.

Estimates have stated that by 2005 over 75 per cent of middle school graduates in urban areas will enter high schools, while the proportion in rural areas will reach 65 per cent.

By 2010 the percentage in urban areas could increase to almost 100 per cent and the figure in rural areas could reach over 75 per cent.

Such an extension will bring China many benefits, primary amongst which will be its role as an effective measure in diminishing strong employment pressure.

Statistics indicate that China's annual workforce increased from 5 million people in 1994 to around 8 million in 1998.The statistics also indicate that young people who are 18 years old or younger make up 69 per cent of new workers on the Chinese mainland, compared with less than 10 per cent in some advanced countries and areas in East Asia such as Japan.

One of the main reasons behind this situation, I believe, is that over half of the graduates from middle schools do not have an opportunity to receive further education and have to become job-seekers.

Sources from the Ministry of Education said in 1999 that only 49.96 per cent of middle school graduates had the chance to receive a high school education.

A report released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences indicates that the average education term of Chinese labourers is only 5.7 years, compared with more than 10 years in developed countries.

The proposed 12-year compulsory education term will better cater to urban and rural residents' demand to have their children receive an extended education.

A nationwide survey has suggested that education has become a top priority for Chinese families. Ninety per cent of parents surveyed said they hope their children will receive a higher education.

Moreover, the family planning policy has made the 12-year education term a "rigid" demand for urban families.

The proposed 12-year compulsory education term is central to the country's overall education plans.

In 1999, the nine-year compulsory education system covered 80 per cent of the country's total population and its achievements have been certified and approved in 2,430 counties and county-level areas.

Meanwhile, China's universities and colleges have been enrolling more students in recent years. In 1999 alone, 1.6 million high school graduates were admitted by colleges and universities, increasing admissions by 47.4 per cent .

Inadequate high school education opportunities have become a major problem, restricting the development of the education sector.

I am optimistic however, that China will see a rapid move forward in the development of its education sector if the 12-year compulsory schooling programme is adopted.

To implement such a great education strategy, in my opinion, the central government should make a clear commitment to this issue and list it in the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-05).

The 12-year compulsory education programme should be adopted first in large and medium-sized cities and some advanced rural areas, then gradually expanded to other parts of the country.

The Chinese Government needs to increase its investment in education. A number of fund-raising options are advisable, including the issuing of education treasury bonds or education lottery tickets.

The government should also be looking into providing more preferential loans to families to help pay for tuition, and granting further rights and freedom to provincial authorities in order to develop their local education sectors.

Moreover, China should give special fiscal support to its backward western regions to launch the 12-year compulsory schooling plan.

A market economy should be introduced into the education industry to enhance the overall performance of high schools.

Finally, the Chinese Government should consider further breaking its monopoly on higher education to encourage private forces to build more colleges.

The author is the director of the Centre for China Study under the Chinese Academy of Sciences at Qinghua University.