Tibet makes headway in health, education

Editor's note: China has seen tremendous changes nationwide, from economic growth to environmental protection, from social improvement to cultural progress. In this series, China Daily maps the changes and tells the stories of the people who lived through them.

Government support has benefited the region's rural students and has boosted overall wellness

The Tibet autonomous region has seen steady growth in health and education over the past decade, senior officials said recently.

The region offers children 15 years of free education, from kindergarten to high school－beyond the nine-year free compulsory education system in other parts of China－Yan Jinhai, chairman of the regional government, said recently at a news conference in Lhasa, the regional capital.

With a vast land area and a sparsely scattered population, Yan noted that the region has continued to improve education standards in rural areas, and the government pays for school fees and accommodations for students from rural areas.

The employment rate of college graduates has remained at about 95 percent, the average annual subsidy each rural student receives has reached 4,200 yuan ($623), and the average monthly subsidy each rural teacher receives has reached 1,000 yuan, he added.