IN BRIEF (Page 22)

New measures to improve education

The State Council on Aug 29 approved a string of new measures to narrow the gap in fundamental educational levels between the nation's urban and rural areas, Xinhua News Agency reported.

China has provided children with universal access to fundamental education, or the nine-year compulsory education system that covers elementary and junior high school education, but its quality differs among regions and schools, according to an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.