Six schoolmasters in Dazhou, southwest China's
Sichuan Province, have been suspended from their duties for
charging students extra fees.
The Dazhou city government made the decision after seven
educational task forces discovered the banned activities in the six
elementary and middle schools, according to a local government
official.
Among the six schools, some students were required to buy school
uniforms or bedding, while other students were ordered to buy
insurance and film tickets.
The Ministry of Education states that students only need to pay
fees for textbooks, workbooks and accommodation fees.
The local government has instructed the educational bureau to
keep a close eye on elementary and middle schools.
In the past, students were charged various types of fees as the
main support for rural school operations and teacher salaries.
Last December, the State Council made a decision that rural
students in China's relatively backward western region will enjoy
free compulsory education from 2006.
The Ministry of Education has forbidden the primary and junior
middle schools in rural areas to collect extra fees for students.
Schoolmasters will be removed from their posts if extra fees are
collected in their schools.
"Rural schools are forbidden to collect any other fee aside from
the three permitted categories," said Wang Xuming, spokesman for
the ministry, last month.
(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2006)