It is a good idea for the central finance to subsidize the clearing of huge debts local authorities have incurred in popularizing compulsory education.

In part because of financial constraints, the central government left the main burden of such a costly project to local authorities when it required the popularization of nine-year compulsory education by the end of last century. In order to fulfill that ambitious goal, local governments had to make sure all schools met uniform standards in infrastructure as well as teaching staff.

Since rural education used to be financed mainly by local revenue, officials and rural schools had to rely on loans to meet the deadline.

The overall debt now stands at 50 billion yuan ($6.7 billion), more than 8 percent of the debilitating debts owed by rural authorities.

This is a debt the central government owes to promote the country's basic education.

Clearing such a debt is no doubt conducive to the financial wellbeing of rural authorities. It could also break the long vicious cycle of debts haunting rural schools.

In many cases, helpless local education departments have racked their brains trying to transfer the financial burden to schools. In a subsequent chain reaction, the burden shifts from teachers to students, and then their parents.

High school fees, which go against the purpose and principle of compulsory education, have resulted in many leaving school and has worked against efforts to popularize basic education.

Consecutive years of bumper harvests have made our government more capable than ever to repay what it owes to rural education. It is inspiring to see rural schools are finally to receive public finance.

The just unveiled debt clearance program looks like a well-thought-out one - it not only includes a clear timeframe, well-defined responsibilities, and explicit quotas, but also reasonable incentives. This gives us confidence in its accomplishment.

Let us hope the ongoing experiments in selected provinces are successful, and all our rural schools are liberated from their debts.

(China Daily December 26, 2007)