China's central government has expenditure of 3 billion yuan
(US$375 million) for the building or renovation of 2,810 rural
boarding schools, the National Development and Reform Commission
(NDRC) has announced on its website.
The expenditure is part of a three-year program beginning in
2004 to build or renovate 7,662 rural boarding schools in a bid to
improve educational facilities in the countryside.
Total funding for the program amounts to 9 billion yuan (US$1.13
billion).
Spreading across 953 counties in central and western China, the
boarding schools will be able accommodate 2 million students when
they are completed.
By the end of April, more than half of the 4,852 schools for
which fund had been allocated in 2004 and 2005 had been completed,
the NDRC said.
The 3 billion yuan slated for 2006 comes in two parts. Half
comes from the central budget, while the other half is raised
through treasury bonds.
(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2006)