School dropout rate down nearly 99 percent

The number of students dropping out of school amid their nine-year compulsory education period dropped by nearly 99 percent nationwide, from 600,000 in early 2019 to 6,781 as of June 14, China’s Ministry of Education said on Monday.

A guideline on controlling the dropout rate and ensuring the implementation of compulsory education, issued by the ministry and several government departments, stressed all school-age children from poor families, except those unable to learn due to their physical condition, should not drop out of school.

The completion rate of nine-year compulsory education is expected to reach 95 percent by 2020, the document noted, calling for more ongoing efforts to make sure children from poor families have access to compulsory education.

The document stressed more efforts should be made to ensure all eligible students from poor families return to school by the semester starting in September.

It emphasized strictly preventing students from dropping out of school for epidemic-related reasons.

More assistance should be provided to students who face difficulty in their studies, including tailored teaching schemes for them, according to the guideline.

For those who quit studies to take up jobs, the guideline noted that a joint mechanism for persuading them to return to school will be set up and crimes related to child labor will face a harsh crackdown.

The ministry has also issued a guideline on improving the work on disabled children’s learning in regular classes for compulsory education.

The document aims to remove obstacles that keep disabled children from learning in regular classes and enhance the quality of education for such children.

It highlights a sounder assessment and verification for disabled students, which will decide whether a disabled child is fit for a regular class.

The database for middle school and primary school students should be fully utilized to make sure that children with learning disabilities but at the ages eligible for compulsory education, do not drop out of school.