A senior legislator has called on all levels of government to ensure greater access to basic education.

Liu Bin, a member of the National People's Congress (NPC) Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee, urged an early revision of the nation's 17-year-old Law on Compulsory Education to further open the nation's schools to children from poor families.

"The nation should keep its momentum of increasing financial support for the nine-year compulsory education," said Liu, whose NPC committee is responsible for drafting important education laws.

Chinese children currently enjoy a nine-year compulsory education, which means that their education at elementary and junior high school levels is free from tuition fees. But they have to pay for textbooks and the upkeep of their schools.

Liu said the principle that governments at all levels share the investment in basic education should be incorporated into the Law on Compulsory Education, which took effect in 1986.

"Thanks to the steady increase in government support, promotion of basic education has gained results across the country," Liu said.

By the end of 2000, 85 per cent of the nation's population of nearly 1.3 billion had completed compulsory education and the adult illiteracy rate had been reduced to below 5 per cent.

However, Liu insisted that there must be no let-up in the effort to spread basic education.

He warned that some local governments had shifted their spending priorities from basic education to non-compulsory education.

Liu said this was partly to blame for an increase in drop-out rates at some rural junior high schools.

Currently, the national junior high school drop-out rate is 5 per cent, Liu said.

But the figure has shot up to 10 to 20 per cent in some provinces, he pointed out.

Liu added that a further increase in basic education spending would also help improve the quality of education provided.

The country spends an average annual amount of 44.3 yuan (US$5.4) on every elementary school student, revealed figures from Liu's committee. But only 28.12 yuan (US$3.4) is spent on every rural student, Liu noted.

Liu added electronic education facilities, such as computers and videos, were a pipe dream for rural students.

Liu said he hopes the revision of the Law on Compulsory Education will be on the legislative agenda of the 10th NPC, which starts its five-year tenure at its annual meeting this week.