The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Public Security on Monday certified 68 agencies in 11 provinces and municipalities which provide consultation services for Chinese students studying abroad.

An official from MOE noted that this will help regulate and monitor the management of these agencies to provide more effective services to increasing numbers of Chinese people who apply to study abroad.

He stressed that all other intermediary agencies which are not certified should stop providing unauthorized services immediately.

Statistics show that a total of 567,000 Chinese went abroad for further education between 1986 and 1998.