Chinese president, premier call for improved quality, equality in education

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have called for efforts to improve the quality of public education and make it more equitable for the public.

In a congratulatory letter sent to a national teacher's conference held on Friday, Hu said China has fully attained the goals of making nine-year compulsory education universally available and eliminating illiteracy among young and middle-aged adults.

Hu said he hopes government departments and regions will prioritize educational development and speed up the construction of a basic public educational service system that cover both urban and rural areas, as well as guarantee equal access to the system.

The president also expressed greetings to the country's 14 million teachers ahead of the Teachers' Day, which falls on Sept. 10.

He encouraged the teachers to contribute more to the country's education development.

While addressing Friday's conference, Premier Wen Jiabao said China is facing the big challenge of how to offer better schooling for its children.

"The focus should be on improving quality and promoting balanced development," he said, adding that efforts should be made to "run each school well and offer a good education for every child."

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