Disappearing classrooms (5)

There were 633,000 primary school dropouts across the country in 2008, accounting for 0.599 percent of the overall students, however, these figures surged to 883,000 and 0.88 percent respectively in 2011.

"The 0.88 percent rate was on a par with the average level from 1997 to 1999, especially when the country exempted all tuition fees for the nine-year compulsory education program covering primary and junior high schools," Han added, also pointing out that there would be frightening implications, including another million illiterate students.

The dropout students have also become younger. Previously they dropped out in higher grades, but from 2007 to 2009, low grade dropouts accounted for nearly 80 percent of dropouts, the highest level ever in Chinese history.

Yang Dongping called for officials to consider the numbers of students and the ramifications of the one-child policy.

"The scale of the removal and restructuring of the teaching network in rural areas has far outpaced demographic changes. During the past 10 years the number of students has dropped by 37 percent, however, the number of school has been slashed by 52 percent," he said.