New rules for middle schoolers

Local middle school students have to complete 136 hours of social investigation and 80 hours of voluntary labor in their eight semesters, as well as 32 hours of vocational training and 24 hours of safety training in emergencies, according to new regulations released by the city's education commission and two related authorities.

The regulations on social practice of middle schoolers in Shanghai will take effect from September.

According to the regulations, the social investigations organized by schools include students' visits to patriotism education centers, revolutionary historical and memorial sites, bases of city's major and important projects, bases of national defense, science and technology and agriculture, and natural reserves for exploration and research.

Voluntary labor refers to their participation in school or community activities like sanitation, greenery, civilization promotion, services to the disabled, the elderly and children.

For vocational training, schools should organize visits to vocational schools. Safety training includes escape drills in emergencies such as fires and earthquakes and from buses.

The regulations emphasize that each middle schooler should at least visit a patriotism education center once and do voluntary labor in three positions.

The students' social practices will be recorded on an online platform and later be evaluated as part of their comprehensive quality.

Meanwhile, venues providing social practice opportunities for students should supply good education resources and develop courses and programs suitable for middle school students.