Chapter III Schools

Article 15 The local people's governments at the county level or above shall, on the basis of the factors such as the number and distribution of the school-age children and adolescents dwelling in their respective administrative areas, formulate and adjust the plans on the setup of schools in accordance with the relevant provisions of the State. Where a school needs to be set up in a newly established residential area, it shall be built along with the construction of the residential area.

Article 16 The construction of schools shall conform to the standards of the State on running schools, shall meet the educational and teaching needs, shall meet the State's requirements for the selection of sites and the construction standards so as to ensure the safety of the students and the staff.

Article 17 Where necessary, the people's government at the county level may set up boarding schools so as to ensure that the school-age children and adolescents who are dwelling in scattered areas receive compulsory education.

Article 18 The administrative department of education of the State Council and the people's governments of the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall, where necessary, set up schools (classes) in economically developed areas so as to enroll school-age children and adolescents of ethnic minorities.

Article 19 The local people's governments at the county level or above shall, where necessary, set up schools (classes) of special education so as to provide compulsory education to the school-age children and adolescents who have eyesight, hearing and intellectual impairments. The schools (classes) of special education shall have places and facilities which suit the study, recovery and living features of the children with disabilities.

Ordinary schools shall accept school-age children and adolescents with disabilities who are able to receive ordinary education, to study along with the normal classes and shall provide assistance for their study and recuperation.

Article 20 The local people's governments at the county level or above shall, where necessary, set up particular schools to provide compulsory education to school-age adolescents who have committed severe delinquent acts as described in the Law on the Prevention of Crime of Juvenile Delinquency.

Article 21 The juvenile delinquents who fail to finish compulsory education and the minors who are subject to mandatory education measures shall be given compulsory education. The essential operating funds shall be ensured by the people's government.

Article 22 The people's governments at the county level or above and the administrative departments of education thereof shall promote the balanced development among schools, shall narrow the gap of school-running conditions among different schools and shall not divide schools into key schools and non-key schools. No school may set up key classes and non-key classes.

None of the people's governments at the county level or above and the administrative department of education thereof may, under any pretext or in any disguise, change the nature of a public school.

Article 23 The people's governments at all levels and the relevant departments thereof shall maintain the order around schools, protect the legitimate rights and interests of the students, teachers and schools, and guarantee the safety and security of schools.

Article 24 A school shall establish a sound safety system and emergency response mechanism, offer its students safety education, intensify the management and eliminate the hidden risks in a timely manner so as to prevent the occurrence of accidents.

The people's governments at the county level or above shall make regular safety inspections of the school buildings and shall timely repair and rebuild the school buildings which need repairing and rebuilding.

Article 25 No school may charge any fee in violation of the provisions of the State or seek profits by selling goods or services to students or by doing so in any disguised form.

Article 26 A school shall adopt the principal responsibility system. The principal shall satisfy the appointment conditions as prescribed by the State. The principal shall, in accordance with law, be appointed by the administrative department of education of the people's government at the county level.

Article 27 For a student who violates the school management rules, the school shall criticize and educate him/her, but shall not expel him/her from school.

Chapter IV Teachers

Article 28 Teachers shall be entitled to the rights as prescribed by the law, shall perform the duties prescribed by the law, shall be worthy of the name teacher, and shall be devoted to the people's educational cause.

The whole society shall respect teachers.

Article 29 A teacher shall, during the course of education and teaching, treat his students equally, pay attention to their individual differences, teach students on the basis of their aptitude and shall promote full development of students.

A teacher shall respect the personality of students. No teacher shall discriminate against any student, or use corporal punishment or corporal punishment in disguise on any student, or commit any other act that may insult the personal dignity of any student, or infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of any student.

Article 30 A teacher shall obtain the qualifications as prescribed by the State for teachers.

The State shall establish a uniform system for the professional titles of teachers engaging in compulsory education. The professional titles of teachers shall be classified into primary, intermediate and senior titles.

Article 31 The people's governments at all levels shall ensure the salaries, welfare benefits and social insurances of teachers, improve their working and living conditions and improve the mechanism for guaranteeing the salaries and operating funds for teachers in rural areas.

The average salaries of teachers shall not be lower than the average salaries of the local civil servants.

The teachers engaging in special education shall be entitled to the subsidies of special posts. The teachers who work in ethnic minority areas and in remote and poverty-stricken areas shall be entitled to subsidies of hard and poverty-stricken areas.

Article 32 The people's governments at the county level or above shall strengthen the cultivation of teachers and take measures to develop the education of teachers.

The administrative departments of education of the people's governments at the county level shall, in a balanced manner, allocate teachers within their respective administrative areas, shall organize training and transfer of the principals and teachers and shall intensify the construction of weak schools.

Article 33 The State Council and the people's governments at all levels shall encourage and support urban school teachers and graduates from colleges and universities to engage in compulsory education in rural areas and in ethnic minority areas.

The State encourages graduates from colleges and universities to work as volunteer teachers of schools in rural areas and in ethnic minority areas. The administrative departments of education at the county level shall recognize their qualifications as teachers and their length of teaching shall be included in their length of service.

Chapter V Education and Teaching

Article 34 The educational and teaching work shall be in line with the education rules and the characters of the physical and mental development of students, be geared to all students, impart knowledge and enlighten people, integrate moral education, intellectual education, physical education and aesthetic education in the educational and teaching activities; and focus on the cultivation of the students' independent thinking ability, creation and practice ability so as to promote the all-round development of students.

Article 35 The administrative department of education of the State Council shall, according to the physical and mental development of school-age children and adolescents as well as the actual circumstances, determine the teaching system, the educational and teaching contents and the curricula; and reform the examination system, improve the measures for the recruitment of students by senior middle schools, and push forward the implementation of quality-oriented education.

The schools and teachers shall carry out the educational and teaching activities according to the educational and teaching contents and the curricula as determined so as to ensure the basic quality requirements as prescribed by the State.

The State encourages schools and teachers to adopt the education and teaching methods such as the heuristic method so as to enhance the quality of education and teaching.

Article 36 A school shall place moral education in the first place, apply moral education in education and teaching, carry out social practices that fit the age of students; and form an ideological and moral education system whereby the school, family and society collaborate with each other, so as to encourage the students to have good morals and form a habit of good conduct.

Article 37 A school shall ensure that the students have time for after-school activities and shall organize and carry out cultural entertainments and other after-school activities. The public cultural and sports facilities shall facilitate the school to carry out after-school activities.

Article 38 A textbook shall be compiled in accordance with the national education policies and the relevant course standards. Its contents shall be as concise as possible, shall choose the indispensable basic knowledge and skills, shall be economical and practical, and shall guarantee its quality.

No functionary of any state organ or examiner of textbooks may participate in the compilation of any textbook or do so in any disguised form.

Article 39 The State shall adopt the textbook examination and approval system. The measures for the examination and approval of textbooks shall be formulated by the department of education administration of the State Council.

No one may publish or use any textbook that fails to be examined and approved.

Article 40 The benchmark price of a textbook shall be determined by the price administrative department of the State Council jointly with the publication administrative department.

Article 41 The State encourages the use of textbooks in a recycling manner.

Chapter VI Guarantee of Operating Funds

Article 42 The State shall integrate the entire compulsory education into the scope of financial guarantee. The operating funds for compulsory education shall be guaranteed by the State Council and the local people's governments at all levels in pursuance of this law.