In order to ensure urban students' equal access to quality education, Chinese State Councilor Chen Zhili vowed on Saturday to ban illicit fees charged by elementary and middle schools.

In many Chinese cities, students often have to pay additional fees if they want to enroll in elementary or middle schools with better faculty and facilities.

"It is an important measure of boosting education equality and building a harmonious society to eradicate illicit charges in urban compulsory education," Chen told an educational conference in Shengyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

One way to tackle the problem, Chen said, is to offer more support to schools with limited educational resources.

She also called on education authorities to tighten regulation and offer more financial aid to students from poverty-stricken families.