BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education on Thursday vowed to target any action that hindered school-age children from receiving compulsory education.
Local education authorities were ordered to conduct a comprehensive investigation as soon as possible in the first half of 2019, according to a directive issued by the ministry.
The ministry stressed that practices in which school-age children failed to get compulsory education due to violations of laws and regulations by institutions or individuals should be rectified and the violators will be held accountable and dealt with in accordance with the law.
The regulation stipulates that extracurricular training organizations shall not illegally enroll school-age children for full-time training programs that are used as an alternative to compulsory education.
No false enrollment advertisements shall be issued to induce parents to send school-age children to training institutions instead of schools of compulsory education, it says.
There shall be no teaching of feudal dross, such as "three obediences and four virtues" that were imposed on women in ancient China, divination, geomancy and fortune-telling, in the name of "studies of Chinese culture," and no use of religion to conduct activities impeding the country's educational system, according to the directive.
Legal guardians of school-age children are asked to earnestly perform their duties as guardians and should not organize study in place of compulsory education.
If school-age children are unable to attend school for compulsory education because of disabilities or medical reasons, their legal guardians shall report to local education authorities, which may commission a committee of experts to assess the children's physical conditions, abilities to receive education and adapt to school life and to determine the educational and placement methods suitable for them.
