More than 80 percent of children from migrant worker families have attended public schools in the cities their parents are employed in, an official said.

The country will ensure equal opportunities for children of migrant worker families to those from urban areas, Liu Limin, vice-minister with the Ministry of Education, said on Saturday.

China has more than 12.9 million children from families of migrant workers who are eligible for nine years of compulsory education, accounting for 9.38 percent of those eligible.

Liu conceded that the large number of migrant workers in urban areas has resulted in excessively large classes, which have forced public schools to expand.

Some local authorities in large cities have had to pay for places at private schools, he said.

The country has established an enrollment system for all children eligible for nine years of compulsory education, which has made it easier for children of migrant workers to transfer to new schools, he said.

China had more than 168 million migrant workers by the end of last year, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.