BEIJING — China’s nine years of compulsory education will not be extended to 12 years, the Department of Basic Education of China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) said in a statement on Dec 5.

The statement was released after recent rumors went viral online, indicating the extension of compulsory education as well as the cancellation of the country’s high school entrance exam.

“We are yet to have the conditions to include senior high school in compulsory education,” the department said, adding that the main task in terms of senior high school education is for it to meet the needs of more junior high school graduates.

According to the statement, despite the goal for senior high school education to be implemented nationwide by 2020, which was included in a plan issued earlier this year, it does not mean senior high school education will be compulsory and free.

“Promoting high school education is more about making sure students can attend senior high schools,” the statement read.

“Our compulsory education is still unbalanced and insufficient,” the statement continued, suggesting that there are many important tasks to undertake to improve compulsory education in years to come.

The department also dismissed rumors that the senior high school entrance exam would be canceled.

“We want to cut the number of exams to reduce the pressure on our students,” the statement said.