The city of Yanzhou in East China's Shandong Province has made great efforts to improve its educational system, making itself among the first batch of model cities in the province in this regard.

 

While sticking to the economy-centered strategy, the city emphasizes the development of the educational sector, giving a priority to children's education.

 

It began to popularize the three-year pre-school education program last year after promoting senior high school education around the city in 2003.

 

Yanzhou is taking the lead in the province to launch the 15-year education program, which is composed of three years of pre-schooling, nine years of compulsory education (six-year elementary and three-year junior middle school education), and three years of senior middle schooling.

 

At present, the rate of kindergarten enrollment reached 87.2 percent, basically satisfying the pre-education demand for children of 0-3 years old.

 

Disabled children of school age can receive proper education on par with their healthy counterparts, according to the local government.

 

(China Daily February 28, 2007)