Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 For the purpose of guaranteeing the right to compulsory education of school-age children and adolescents, ensuring the implementation of the compulsory education policy and enhancing the quality of the whole nation, this Law was hereby formulated in accordance with the Constitution and the Education Law of the People's Republic of China.

Article 2 The State adopts a system of 9-year compulsory education.

Compulsory education is education, which is implemented uniformly by the State and shall be received by all school-age children and adolescents. It is a public welfare cause that shall be guaranteed by the State.

No tuition or miscellaneous fee may be charged in the implementation of compulsory education.

The State shall establish a guarantee mechanism for operating funds for compulsory education in order to ensure the implementation of the system of compulsory education.

Article 3 In compulsory education, the State policy on education shall be implemented and quality-oriented education shall be carried out to improve the quality of education and enable children and adolescents to achieve all-round development—morally, intellectually and physically—so as to lay the foundation for cultivating well-educated and self-disciplined builders of socialism with high ideals and moral integrity.

Article 4 All children and adolescents who have the nationality of the People's Republic of China and have reached the school age shall have equal right and have the obligation to receive compulsory education, regardless of gender, nationality, race, status of family property or religious belief, etc.

Article 5 The people's governments at all levels and their relevant departments shall perform all functions as prescribed by this Law and shall ensure the right to compulsory education of all school-age children and adolescents.

The parents or other statutory guardians of school-age children and adolescents shall ensure that school-age children and adolescents go to school to receive and complete compulsory education.

The schools lawfully carrying out compulsory education shall complete the educational and teaching tasks as required and ensure the educational and teaching quality.

Social organizations and individuals shall create a good environment for school-age children and adolescents to receive compulsory education.

Article 6 The State Council and the local people's governments at the county level and above shall reasonably allocate the educational resources, promote balanced development of compulsory education, improve the conditions of weak schools, take measures to ensure implementation of the compulsory education policy in rural areas and areas inhabited by ethnic minority groups, and guarantee that school-age children and adolescents from families with financial difficulties and disabled school-age children and adolescents receive compulsory education.

The State shall organize and encourage the economically developed areas to provide aid to the economically underdeveloped areas in the implementation of the compulsory education policy.

Article 7 Compulsory education shall be under the leadership of the State Council, be carried out under the overall planning by the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and be mainly administered by the people's governments at the county level.

The education administrative departments of the people's governments at the county level or above shall be responsible for the implementation of the compulsory education policy. Other relevant departments of the people's governments at the county level or above shall, within the scope of their respective functions, be responsible for the implementation of the compulsory education policy.

Article 8 An education supervisory institution of the people's government shall supervise the compliance with the laws and regulations in the compulsory education work, the educational and teaching quality as well as the status of balanced development of compulsory education, and shall issue supervisory reports to the general public.

Article 9 Any social organization or individual may expose or complain about any violation of this Law to the relevant state organ.

In the event that this Law is grossly violated, the implementation of the compulsory education policy is hampered and bad consequences are caused to the society, the liable persons-in-charge of the people's government or of the administrative department of education of the people's government shall take the blame and resign from their posts due to their mistakes.

Article 10 The social organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the implementation of the compulsory education policy shall be commended and awarded by the people's governments at all levels and their relevant departments.

Chapter II Students

Article 11 Any child who has attained the age of six, his/her parents or other statutory guardians shall have him/her enrolled in school to finish compulsory education. For the children in those areas where the conditions are not satisfied, the initial time of schooling may be postponed to seven years old.

Article 12 School-age children and adolescents shall go to school without taking any examination. The local people's governments at all levels shall ensure that school-age children and adolescents are enrolled in the schools near the permanent residences of the school-age children and adolescents.

For a school-age child and juvenile whose parents are working or dwelling at a place other than their permanent residence, if he/she receives compulsory education at the place where his/her parents or other statutory guardians are working or dwelling, the local people's government shall provide him/her with equal conditions for receiving compulsory education. The concrete measures shall be formulated by the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government.

The administrative departments of education of the people's government at the county level shall guarantee the right of a serviceman's children to compulsory education within its administrative area.

Article 13 The administrative departments of education of the people's governments at the county level, and the people's governments of townships and towns shall organize and urge school-age children and adolescents to go to school, help solve their difficulties in receiving compulsory education and take measures to prevent them from discontinuing their schooling.

The residents' committees and villagers' committees shall help the government to do well in urging school-age children and adolescents to go to school.

Article 14 It is forbidden for any employing entity to employ any school-age children and adolescents who shall be receiving compulsory education.