The 18 districts and one county in Shanghai spent 15 percent more money on compulsory education last year than a year ago, said a report by the city's Education Commission.

 

The report, the city's second annual education development report, again showed a massive difference in the amount of money various districts spent on each student.

 

Downtown Luwan District became the biggest spender last year, surpassing Jing'an District, the top of 2005. Luwan spent 10,585 yuan (US$1,400) on each primary school student last year.

 

While Chongming County, replacing Fengxian District, lagged very behind at the bottom of the list with a yearly expenditure of 1,157 yuan per student.

 

The country's compulsory education law stipulates that spending on education should rise every year by more than a government's fiscal revenue growth rate.

 

In 2005, Fengxian, Baoshan, Songjiang, Nanhui, Jiading and Yangpu districts failed to increase funding for compulsory education by a larger percentage than their fiscal revenues increased.

 

Commission officials said that the city government would also try to make up for the education investment by granting more funding to districts that lag behind.

 

Meanwhile, 55 percent of classes in primary schools were oversized, said the report.

 

(Shanghai Daily August 9, 2007)