BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- The Chinese government has in the past decade taken effective measures to provide even education opportunities for youngsters in different regions under different economic development conditions and from different ethnic groups, according to a recent report.

    The report on Development of Youth in China (1995-2004) was released jointly by China Research Center of Teenagers and the international liaison department of the Communist Youth League of China.

    The report said that education was developed in an unbalanced manner in China, particularly with gaps between urban and rural areas, different regions and between different ethnic groups. But,the report said, the gaps would be gradually narrowed as effective measures were being taken and strengthened.

    According to the report, the government continuously extended bigger support to compulsory education in poverty-stricken areas.

    Last year, 10 billion yuan (1.2 billion U.S. dollars) was appropriated from the central coffer to support compulsory education in rural areas, a growth of 72 percent from the previous-year level of 5.8 billion yuan (715 million dollars).

    In 2004, the government began to offer free textbooks to 24 million students from poverty-stricken households in central and western regions. This year, it exempted some poor families from exercise book fees and incidentals. And the policy will benefit all rural homes as of 2007.

    China initiated education loans for college students in 1999, and has since granted approximately 11.3 billion yuan (1.39 billion dollars) in loans for 1.88 million needy students, said the report.