Soochow University in east China's Jiangsu Province has granted pregnant students who are legally married maternity leave to bring college regulations further in line with the new Marriage Law, reported the NEN News Monday (Jan 8).

China's Ministry of Education lifted the ban on college students getting married on March 29, 2005. Currently students of legal age no longer have to ask for permission from their university when they plan to tie the knot. According to Soochow University's new regulations, married student mothers can file applications to ask for maternity leave and resume their studies after they deliver. In the past, pregnant women were not allowed to be students.

The green light on maternity leave lit up other disputes, and whether the expense of giving birth should be covered by campus medicare is among the top concerns.

The education authorities in Jiangsu Province believe that more questions concerning related topics, such as marriage leave and the hukou, a registered permanent residence of campus born babies, will follow.

On March 24 2005, Wang Hongjie was married on campus and was expelled from Mudanjiang Medical College for pregnancy shortly before her graduation. Wang filed a lawsuit against the college and was able to return to her studies after reconciliation was reached in a second trial on Feb. 27 last year.

Editor: Wing