The Ministry of Education on December 29 issued a five-year plan to guarantee all poor students access to schools by 2020.

Basic public educational services should cover all the poor population, and funds should be allocated to poor students throughout every stage of their education by 2020, the plan said.

Xu Mei, the ministry's spokesperson, said the plan is the country's first to pledge to help all poor students.

According to the plan, vocational education will also be targeted for poor students, which will help them master useful skills and better serve their hometowns.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2016)