Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news

Shanghainese education expenditures have been soaring in the past decade, with the annual growth nearing 25 percent, today's Wenhui Daily reported, citing data from Shanghai Statistics Bureau.
According to the bureau, which surveyed more than 3,000 local families, education expenses in 2003 reached 937 yuan (US$113) per capita, compared with 761 yuan of 1995.  The proportion of education costs in a family's total expenditures has jumped to 8.5 percent from 3 percent during this period.
A one-semester fee is 1,603 yuan for each primary school student, 2,402 yuan for junior middle school student and 4,447 yuan for senior middle school student.