Private universities, vocational schools, and online education platforms are being tipped by analysts to be among the biggest winners from China’s recently rolled out 13th Five-Year Plan on education, which bids to narrow the huge gap in standards between urban and rural areas of the country, writes Laura He for South China Morning Post. The blueprint, unveiled by the State Council, offers guidelines on educational development through to 2020. Its focus, say officials, is on educational development in the central and western provinces and impoverished regions, ensuring “modern vocational education” opportunities to the vast rural population. It particularly encourages private capital to be invested in setting up colleges and professional training schools . “Educational reform is right on track,” and at the heart of government planning, said Li Wei, an equity analyst for Sinolink Securities, “and the most important theme this year is investment in the development of PHEI"