Reform education administration must benefit poor students

China's expenditures on education should be distributed more fairly, says an editorial in Guangming Daily. Excerpts:

The Chinese government's spending on education hit 4 percent of China's GDP for the first time this year since this percentage was proposed in 1993 by the government as an objective measurement of education spending.

That does not mean the objective has been fully realized. Because quality education resources are not evenly distributed according to the needs of the population, the Chinese government should invest more in the western and middle regions.

Even though the Chinese government has realized its 4 percent objective, many people, especially in poorer regions, do not see a significant improvement of classroom conditions.

Money from the central government or the Education Ministry does not reach the grass-root schools, students and teachers before passing through several layers of bureaucracy, from provincial to township authorities.

In some places, as media reports exposed, primary school students are required to carry desks to classrooms because local governments' spending on education is too little to cover the cost of desks, but the local governments are not poor actually.

The central government's attention to education does not mean anything to the students and teachers if the money does not get to them after the cash passes through various levels of bureaucracy.

China should streamline its education administration system to improve its efficiency. Otherwise, the central government's fulfilling its objective will not translate into real benefits for the poor students and teachers.