More than 4,300 youngster activity sites now operate in the municipality, including children's palaces, science and technology museums, sports schools and libraries, according to a report released last week by the municipal conference.

The report said students both from primary schools and middle schools, would be attending extracurricular activities 8 million times each year.

Nearly 2,000 staff members work in jobs linked to juvenile education outside school in Beijing.

An extracurricular education research network in Beijing has been formed and involves more than 170 research institutions.

On another front of juvenile safety, municipal authorities launched last March a campaign against youths gambling in video game halls in March last year.

In the first three months of the campaign, nearly 650 units that provide illegal gaming services to juveniles were punished. Conference members noted there are problems with the capital's extracurricular education and activities.

There is still no children's palace in three of the capital's counties. And it is difficult for students living outside the central parts of districts and counties to take part in extracurricular activities.

Outmoded equipment and small activity sites also cause problems, the report said. Extracurricular organizations are short on expenses and professional after-school activities counsellors, which have become more and more serious problems, members said.

Enriching out-of-class activities among nationwide schools has been long advocated by the Ministry of Education so as to upgrade students' comprehensive competence and reduce their overloaded homework.

(China Daily 03/26/2001)