BEIJING, Dec. 16 -- High schools in China's extremely poor areas received five billion yuan (818 million U.S. dollars) between 2011 and 2013 from central government, the Ministry of Finance announced Monday.

This year, the central government has provided two billion yuan for equipment, books, as well as expansion and renovation of high schools, according to the ministry.

Local governments in central and western regions pumped 1.1 billion yuan from 2011 to 2012 into high schools in poor areas to improve basic schooling standards, the ministry said.

So far, local and central funds have benefited 2.56 million students in 796 schools, expanded and renovated 2.23 million square meters of school infrastructure and provided books worth 69.62 million yuan and equipment worth 553 million yuan.

The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in November vowed to balance the allocation of resources in urban and rural areas in the future to promote equality in education.