Schools can meet target of reducing oversized classes in 2018: official

BEIJING - China can meet its target of trimming the number of "supersized" classes in its compulsory education system in 2018, or keeping the ratio under 2 percent, said an official with the Ministry of Education Thursday.

As of October, the number of supersized classes -- those each accommodating more than 66 students in primary and middle schools -- registered a 48.7 percent year-on-year drop, the biggest in 10 years, said ministry official Lyu Yugang at a press conference, citing the result of a recent nationwide survey.

The proportion of supersized classes currently stands at 1.2 percent, while the proportion of "large" classes -- those accommodating 56 students and above -- is 8.1 percent.

Lyu said educational authorities will coordinate with local governments to channel more resources to poverty-stricken counties, urging them to prioritize land allocation for schools and to improve the education quality in rural areas.

Oversized classes have long been a prominent issue in China's compulsory education system, due to the rise of urbanization and migration. A government work report delivered at the annual session of the National People's Congress in March said China would do more to bring down the number of oversized classes.