The students will be enrolled at more than 30 key senior high schools in 18 provinces and municipalities, including Beijing's No 80 High School, Chongqing's Nankai High School and the Shuangliu High School in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The number of the key high schools is expected to increase to 72 in the future.

Wu Yingjie, head of the education department, said the decision by the Ministry of Education was significant in the history of the region's educational development.

"It will be of great help to the development of Tibet's education and the training of talented students, playing an important role in promoting the economic and social development of Tibet," Wu said.

Since 1985, as a key State project to support Tibet's development, schools and classes for Tibetan students have been set up in 26 provinces and municipalities by the central government, enrolling nearly 40,000 students, including more than 3,000 college students.

The schools offer the same courses as most high schools except they include Tibetan language and culture.

Nearly 10,000 graduates, including students that have earned their master's and doctorate degrees have returned to Tibet. Seventy percent of these students' families are herdsmen or farmers with no fixed income.

(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2002)