Another prominent topic of the speech focused on balancing regional disparities. In this area Wen mentioned education as a primary concern. He pledged that in 2007 the central government will completely abolish tuition for rural children (including fees for books and for extracurricular activities) from Kindergarten to Grade 9. Wen also mentioned a fivefold increase in the amount of funding being put towards vocational and post-secondary scholarships, focusing on rural areas. He cited the government's continued focus on training more teachers and educational professionals and increasing the quality of post-secondary education in China, and offered a vision stating "One day, let teachers become the most respected professionals in society".