China has no plans to extend compulsory education to include high school, the Ministry of Education said on Tuesday in response to online rumors about a change in policy.

Compulsory education lasts nine to 12 years, from primary school through middle school. Yet netizens recently began to discuss the possibility that the high school entrance exam could be canceled.

"Early this year, the Education Ministry, together with three other departments, released a plan to popularize high school nationwide from 2017 to 2020. But that doesn't mean high school will be compulsory or free," the ministry said in a notice online.

"We will continue to focus on making sure young people nationwide can receive high-quality primary and middle school education," it added.