Comment on "Chinese illiteracy a subject of world's concern" (China Daily, March 2)

I was impressed by China Daily's report on education, which should raise public concern.

UNESCO official Tang Qian said that although China had made great progress in adult literacy, it still had the largest illiterate population in the world. One UNESCO report shows that according to the number of illiterate adults, China still ranks the ninth worst in the world.

Admittedly, achieving 100 percent literacy rate is a hard task for China because of its huge population and ground realities. But I am more worried about inequality in education rates and standards between rural and urban areas, which is unfortunately widening further. The fact that fewer students from the countryside are getting enrolled into top universities is a negative signal for our education system.

It's obvious that children in rural areas have fewer educational resources than their urban counterparts. This will not only influence rural students' life and career, but could also undermine social harmony.

The authorities should, therefore, make greater efforts to root out educational imparity and provide rural children equal access to education.

Mia, via e-mail

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