Government vows to promote fair and quality education

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The government has vowed to promote fair and quality education, giving more support to poor regions and improving salaries and the treatment of primary and secondary school teachers.

A State Council executive meeting held Monday, chaired by Premier LI Keqiang, stressed giving top priority to compulsory education in the allocation of educational funds and optimizing education expenditure structure to promote fair and quality education.

The allocation of both available funds and increased investment into education should prioritize the demands of areas of deep poverty and those from needy families, said a statement released after the meeting.

After hearing a report on wages for primary and secondary school teachers, it was decided at the meeting that measures should be taken to ensure average salaries for teachers from primary and secondary schools should be no less than those for civil servants in the same regions.

Meanwhile, allowances for teachers in remote areas with harsh conditions and living subsidies for rural teachers should be granted in time and in full, it noted.