Following are some quotes from Li Yining, a political advisor and renowned Chinese economist, at the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee on Saturday:

-- The unbalanced distribution of education resources is one of the major reasons behind the excessive income gap between the urban and rural areas.

-- Backward educational equipment and incompetent teaching staff at rural schools have hindered students from seeking further education, who would eventually end up doing simple manual work.

-- Th government should increase the ratio of education expenditure in gross domestic product (GDP).

-- More vocational schools or colleges should be established to improve the competitiveness of rural high school or junior high school graduates in the labor market.

-- Measures should be taken to encourage farmers to start their own business, including providing technical trainings and financial support.