Technical and vocational education will be a priority of government spending on education this year, a senior official said on May 14.

Government spending on education is expected to see a large boost this year, with more funding directed to rural and remote areas, poverty-stricken areas and resident areas of ethnic groups, State Councilor Liu Yandong told the Third International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

More than 800 representatives from 117 UNESCO member states and 72 international organizations gathered in Shanghai to attend the meeting.

Liu said close to 32 million students are enrolled in technical and vocational training, accounting for half of the secondary education and higher education student population in China.

Altogether 150 million people receive vocational training each year in China. The employment rate of secondary trade and vocational school graduates exceeds 95 percent.