China launches campaign to ensure fair, transparent school admissions

BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education (MOE) has issued a circular outlining plans for a 2026 special campaign to promote fair, well-regulated and transparent admissions in primary and secondary schools.

The circular highlights equal access to education for key groups, calling for the full implementation of policies to ensure that children of migrant workers are enrolled in public schools primarily on the basis of residence permits.

In areas with large population inflows, local governments are urged to increase the supply of public school places and to raise the proportion of migrant children attending public schools.

In addition, tailored measures will be introduced to facilitate school enrollment for children from families with more than one child, allowing younger siblings to attend the same schools as their older brothers or sisters, according to the circular.

The campaign also focuses on improving forward-looking planning of educational resources, according to the MOE.

Authorities will establish a database to forecast the school-age population and conduct regular assessments of school facilities, teacher allocation, and equipment at the county level to better gauge supply and demand for admission slots and issue early warnings where needed, the circular reads.

Efforts will also be made to adapt to demographic changes by optimizing school zoning and adjusting the distribution of educational resources, the circular reads.