By Arbitrary fees in education are the target when schools nationwide undergo a special inspection starting next month.

The inspection, to be done by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Education, will focus on key schools and education administrations in the city level, according to a notice released recently by the commission.

The inspection will also cover rural primary and middle schools accused of collecting arbitrary fees.

Supervisors from local municipalities will join the operation, which will start after the National Day holiday.

"According to complaints we received, arbitrary fees in education, which was listed as the top public concern last year, continues to be a major problem, especially in those urban key schools that often collect sponsorship fees," a commission official with the Price Supervision Department, who gave only his surname as Chen, said yesterday in a telephone interview. "To wipe out such an illegal practice, it's necessary to carry out such an annual inspection that has been going on for two years."

Anyone found responsible for charging arbitrary fees should be removed from office, Chen said, adding that schools nationwide have been urged since September 10 to inspect the matter themselves.

Zhang Baoqing, vice-minister of education, said arbitrary fees also exist in colleges.

"Our policy stipulates that no other charges, except the tuition fee and accommodation fee, are allowed in colleges," Zhang said. "But about 400 colleges act against it, accounting for 20 per cent of the total colleges in China."

Zhang emphasized that school management should be responsible for overcharging in colleges, but it is local government officials who are to blame for the problem in rural schools.

"Because of inadequate input for compulsory education in the rural area, local governments should help pay a large amount of education costs," Zhang said. "So some governments shift the burden to the schools, which have no way out but to collect fees from students."

The central government has adopted policies against arbitrary charges in rural schools. The slogan "One Fee for All" reflects the intention that rural pupils should pay only a single fee to cover all of their education expenses.

Zhang said the central fiscal department should increase funds for education to solve the problem.

Compulsory education is expected to be completely free for rural students by 2010, according to the ministry.

Xiao Xianling, mother of a 16-year-old boy who has just finished his entrance examination for secondary school, cautiously welcomed the inspections. "I hope it can be really put into practice and those responsible can be punished," she said.

(China Daily September 21, 2005)