Notice of the General Office of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on Transmitting the Opinions on Free Education of Secondary Vocational School for the Students from Rural or Island Families and Agriculture-Related Specialty Students of This Municipality Made by Three Departments Including the Municipal Education Commission

(October 30, 2009)

                                                       SMPG GO G [2009] No.47

Attention: All District and County People’s Governments, all Commissions, Offices and Bureaus (Administrations) of the Municipal Government:

The Municipal People’s Government has approved the Opinions on Free Education of Secondary Vocational School for the Students from Rural or Island Families and Agriculture-Related Specialty Students of This Municipality made by the municipal education commission, the municipal development and reform commission, and the municipal finance bureau. We hereby transmit them to you, and request you to implement them conscientiously.

Opinions on Free Education of Secondary Vocational School for the

Students from Rural or Island Families and Agriculture-Related

Specialty Students of This Municipality

Offering free education for students from rural and island families and students of agriculture-related specialty embodies the Party and the State’s attention to vocational education and concern for vocational school students, and is an important move to attract more excellent junior high school graduates to serve the construction of the new countryside, which shall be beneficial to bringing into play the positive role of secondary vocational education in serving rural areas, agriculture and peasants better, beneficial to accelerating the process of urban and rural integration, and the construction of the new countryside, and beneficial to pushing educational equity and social equity. In accordance with the spirit of relevant documents of the central government and the Implementation Opinions of Shanghai Party Committee on Carrying out the Decision of the Central Party Committee on Certain Major Issues of Pushing Rural Reform and Development (SPC G [2009] No.4), and the Implementation Opinions of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on Establishing and Amplifying the Aid Policy System for Students From Poor Families in General Undergraduates, Higher Vocational Schools, and Secondary Vocational Schools (SMPG G [2007] No.35), we hereby put forward the following opinions on conducting free education of secondary vocational school for students from rural or island families, and agriculture-related specialty students of this Municipality:

I .Recipients of Free Education

Starting from the autumn semester of 2009, free education of secondary vocational school is offered to students from rural or island (Chongming Island, Changxing Island, Hengsha Island, similarly hereinafter) families, and agriculture-related specialty students of this Municipality. The specific recipients are as follows:

1. students studying in this Municipality’s full-time general secondary vocational schools (including public and private general secondary technical schools, vocational schools, and skilled labors schools, similarly hereinafter) who come from rural or island families with formal school enrollment (including students enrolled in Shanghai but without this Municipality’s household registration), and

2. agriculture-related specialty students studying in this Municipality’s full-time general secondary vocational schools.

II. Coverage and Standards of Free Education

1. Exemption from tuition fees. Recipients of free education who comply with the provisions of these Opinions studying at this Municipality’s national-level key secondary vocational schools are exempted each from 4,000 yuan of tuition fees every school year; and those studying at this Municipality’s non-national-level key secondary vocational schools are exempted each from 2,600 yuan of tuition fees every school year.    

2. Exemption from books and miscellaneous. Students eligible for free education are exempted each from 400 to 600 yuan every school year for textbooks and exercise books. 
　  As for students from rural or island families who study art specialties or specialties run through Chinese-foreign cooperation in public full-time general secondary vocational schools, and students from rural or island families, and agriculture-related specialty students who study at private full-time general secondary vocational schools, the exemption amount shall not exceed the above-provided corresponding criteria.  

III. Granting of Stipends
　　Every student from a rural or island family or agriculture-related specialty student studying at this Municipality’s full-time general secondary vocational school (excluding the graduating school year) is eligible for an annual stipend of 1,500 yuan. The graduating school year exercises the work-study combination and on-post practice with no stipends to be granted.

Students from rural and island families, and agriculture-related specialty students at this Municipality’s full-time general secondary vocational schools who enjoy policies on free education and stipends shall not enjoy any longer relevant policies provided in the Notice of Shanghai Finance Bureau and Shanghai Education Commission on Printing and Distributing the Implementation Rules on the State Stipends in Shanghai Secondary Vocational Schools (SFE [2008] No.33) relating to stipends and specialty awards for students from poor families. 

IV. Guarantee Mechanism

1. Funds needed for implementing the policies on free education and stipends for students from rural and island families and agriculture-related specialty students at this Municipality’s secondary vocational schools shall, according to the school subordination, be borne respectively by the municipal and district/county finance.

2. The competent administrative unit in charge of the school shall strengthen leadership and administration over its subordinate secondary vocational school in terms of free education for students from rural and island families and agriculture-related specialty students, guide its subordinate school to carry out relevant works, enhance the management of funds for free education, and ensure special funds for special purposes.

3. Every secondary vocational school shall specifically take charge of free education for students from rural and island families and agriculture-related specialty students, and guarantee every student eligible for free education to enjoy the policy in due time.  　

V. Other Matters

1. Relevant policies stated in the document marked SFE [2008] No.33 are still applicable to students from rural or island families enrolled in the comprehensive high school disciplines of full-time general secondary vocational schools of this Municipality.

2. The specific implementation rules shall be drawn up by the municipal education commission jointly with the municipal finance bureau.

3. These Opinions shall be effective as of September 1, 2009.

Shanghai Municipal Education Commission

Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission

Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau

September 28, 2009