The Chinese government has started to draw up a 12-year plan on education reform and development, stressing its role in promoting economic development and technology innovation.

A report on the plan's blueprint, raised by the Ministry of Education, was approved at a meeting of the National Science and Technology Education Leading Group of the State Council on Friday.

"It is necessary to make a medium and long-term plan for education reform and development in accordance with the new requirements to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the new trend of domestic and overseas development and the new expectations of the people," said the report.

It urged that education be given priority, the promotion of equity and the development of talent in innovative technology. It also stressed the role education played in promoting the development of the economic society.

The leading group agreed the plan should make specific requirements in terms of education scale, structure, quality and goals in different phases and in different regions. Also included are major issues such as the systemic reform of basic, vocational education and college education.

It is the country's first education plan in the 21st century, and it will be a very complicated project involving the whole of society.

The group would solicit advice from experts, parents and students before drawing up a "satisfactory" guideline.

Premier Wen Jiabao, also head of the group, presided over the meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2008)