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An exemplary innovation

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-01 07:22

Ensuring a free high school education for the youth is not only an innovation, it can also help solve some social problems, says an article in Beijing News. The following is an excerpt:

The city of Anshan in Liaoning province announced recently that it will offer free senior high school education for 3,822 local junior high school graduates at a pilot project. If possible free senior high school education will be further promoted citywide.

In reality, a high proportion of middle school graduates have to give up chances for further education - due to various reasons - after finishing the nine-year compulsory education.

How these children can be positioned to prevent them from being marginalized or even misled to illegal deeds is a question we should ask ourselves. The exemption of senior high school tuition is a feasible and practical way.

If Anshan can do this with its not-so-developed economy, there must be more than 20 provinces and municipalities that have the same ability.

We hope this pilot project by the city, which planned to pour some 2 million yuan per year into it, can yield good results and be expanded wider.

(China Daily 08/01/2008 page9)