One in four Chinese high school graduates will get the chance to continue their studies in 2010, up from the current one in five, according to the government's newly-publicized education plan.

 

The number of students in higher education institutions will hit 30 million by 2010, an increase of 5 million from 2006, according to the plan made by the Ministry of Education.

 

China's universities and colleges enrolled 5.4 million first-year students in 2006, indicating an enrollment rate among high school students of 22 percent, 1 percent higher than the previous year, according to the document.

 

China's college enrollment rate stood at around 3 percent of all high school students in the mid 1980s, lower than many developing countries, but rose to 5 percent in the early 1990s.

 

In 1999, when the government decided to expand higher education, universities enrolled 1.6 million new students, up 48 percent on the previous year.

 

In 2005, 5 million first-year students were enrolled, 4.7 times more than in 1998.

 

Many experts, students and parents believe the expansion of university enrollments that began in 1999 had led to a decline in teaching quality and study conditions in universities.

 

The State Council, or the cabinet, ordered universities to restrict the growth rate of new enrollments last May, requiring them to focus on improving teaching quality.

 

China's universities and colleges plan to enroll 5.7 million first- year students in 2007. The national college entrance examinations take place next month.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2007)