China is revising its law on the protection of minors to ban teachers from insulting and physically punishing their students, as a recent survey shows that Chinese teachers often humiliate their pupils.

The amendment, which was tabled at the ongoing legislative session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for first reading, requires teachers and other school staff to respect minors and prohibits corporal punishment and saying humiliating things to students.

The regulation said teachers who break the law can be fired, given administrative punishment or other penalties according to the nature of the infraction.

A survey released by the National Youth Working Committee in 2005 showed that 81.45 percent of primary school students listed insults from teachers as their most serious problem.

In 2004, a 17-year-old middle school student committed suicide after being humiliated by a teacher in front of her classmates.

The draft amendment also added a new provision forbidding schools from prolonging study time and increasing student workloads, in order to ensure adequate sleep hours and sports activities for pupils.

In China, many parents often force their children to attend after-school classes in order to get higher scores in highly competitive exams and win admission to prestigious schools.

Another aim of the draft amendment is to protect pupil's personal safety. One of its provisions states that if pupils are injured in activities organized by schools whether on campus or outside the campus, school authorities must organize immediate rescue efforts and report the accident to relevant authorities.

In 2001, more than 40 students died in a fireworks explosion in their classroom in Jiangxi Province.

The draft amendment pays great attention to juvenile delinquency, requiring people's courts to set up special tribunals for trying cases involving under-age offenders.

Statistics from the Supreme People's Court show that by the end of 2005, China had established 2,420 juvenile tribunals and employed more than 7,000 full-time or part-time judges specialized in juvenile delinquency. Most of China's criminal cases involving under-age offenders are handled in juvenile tribunals.

"If the draft amendment is adopted by the legislature, more juvenile tribunals will be set up and juvenile delinquency will be handled in a more professional way," said an official with the Supreme People's Court.

The draft amendment adds new provisions banning the sale of tobacco, alcohol and pornographic publications to children aged under 18.

Editor: Wing