All Chinese schools at various levels are being urged to publicize their fees and charging standards from this fall.

According to a notice issued Monday by the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC), the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education, students and their parents, if illegally charged, will be able to refuse to pay or report the school to the government departments concerned.

Currently, the legal education charges in Chinese schools include miscellaneous fees, temporary education fees, boarding fees, and tuition in some schools for non-compulsory education.

The new system will involve billions yuan of charges from about 300 million Chinese students studying at schools.

The SDPC said local departments should establish the education fee system as early as possible, and regions are required to start the system before the fall semester begins this year if possible.

(People's Daily June 18, 2002)