Shanghai promotes greater protection of minors at educational institutions

The protection of minors will also be included in training for educational officials, school principals and teachers in Shanghai, including in pre-job orientation, according to a latest guidance released on Tuesday by city's education authorities.

The guidance aims at guiding schools to better protect minors, enhancing implementation of the country's law and the city's regulations on the protection of minors.

One of the basic principles is giving priority to the interests and needs of minors as well as their rights and health, according to the guidance.

Schools have been asked to continue improving their protection network, providing a safe and positive environment for students in cooperation with families, government, judicial departments and society.

A principal of a school is the first person responsible for student protection, the guidance states.

Schools are also asked to deploy teachers in charge of the protection of minors in a full-time or part-time capacity, handling issues such as student bullying, sexual assault and other incidents that infringe upon students' rights and interests, endanger their physical and mental health, or affect their development.

Education bureaus in local districts will need to improve work in school protection to ensure campus security. They should develop working schemes in areas including background checks of newly employed faculty, prevention of student bullying and sexual assaults. School bus security, security of the environment around schools, and the handling of emergencies efficiently will be enforced.

Both education bureaus and schools are asked to set up hotlines, email boxes and other channels to accept complaints and reports of violations against laws and regulations on the protection of minors, and report crimes to police in a timely fashion.

Education bureaus can also pay qualified universities, research institutions and social organizations to provide professional services such as legal counseling, psychological consultation and behavior modification.

Educational training organizations are asked to follow the same guidance.