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III. Content of Education and Training
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In order to effectively contain and systematically remedy the dissemination of religious extremism and frequent terrorist incidents, Xinjiang has set up vocational education and training centers in some prefectures and counties. These centers are education and training institutions in nature. To meet the needs of fighting terrorism and extremism, these centers deliver a curriculum that includes standard spoken and written Chinese, understanding of the law, vocational skills, and deradicalization. To remedy their lack of proficiency in spoken and written Chinese, tailored language programs are provided to trainees. The education and training centers have solid constitutional and legal authority to conduct such programs. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional Ethnic Autonomy and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language protect the freedom of all ethnic groups to use and develop their own spoken and written languages. At the same time, the Constitution and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language specify that the state promotes the nationwide use of Putonghua, that all citizens have the right to learn and use the standard spoken and written Chinese language, and that the state provides citizens with the conditions to enable them to do so. The education and training centers fully guarantee citizens' right to learn and use standard spoken and written Chinese conferred by the Constitution, and provide trainees with the facilities required for their studies. They employ qualified teachers, using textbooks compiled especially for the trainees, teaching in the same way as in regular schools in order to rapidly improve their ability in the use of standard spoken and written Chinese. Improving the trainees' command of standard spoken and written Chinese helps them to learn about science and technology, acquire vocational skills, seek work in other locations, communicate with other ethnic groups, and adapt better to life in modern society, subject to the condition that their right to use their own ethnic spoken and written languages is respected. There is no intention to deprive or limit the trainees' right to use and develop their own ethnic languages. To remedy a lack of understanding of the law, the education and training centers present legal courses, which is taken as the key link to strengthen national, civic and legal awareness. Judges, procurators and lawyers are invited to give lectures on laws and regulations, including the Constitution, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, General Provisions of the Civil Law of the People's Republic of China, Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China, Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors, Labor Law of the People's Republic of China, Labor Contract Law of the People's Republic of China, Education Law of the People's Republic of China, Vocational Education Law of the People's Republic of China, Counter-terrorism Law of the People's Republic of China, Public Security Administration Punishments Law of the People's Republic of China, Regulations of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Deradicalization, Measures of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Implementing the Counter-terrorism Law of the People's Republic of China, and Regulations of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Religious Affairs. Through their studies, the trainees have developed a better understanding of their civil rights and obligations, a realization that they have the same entitlement to these rights and obligations as others, and an acceptance that they must abide by the Constitution and laws and act in accordance with the rights and obligations they confer. To remedy lack of occupational skills and employment difficulties, vocational skills training programs are provided. The education and training centers regard vocational skills as an important channel to improve the trainees' employability. Based on local demand and employment opportunities, the courses they present include garment making, food processing, assembly of electronic products, typesetting and printing, hairdressing and beauty services, e-commerce, auto maintenance and repair, interior design and decoration, livestock breeding, pomiculture, therapeutic massage, household services, handicrafts, flower arrangement, rug weaving, painting, and the performing arts such as music and dance. Eligible trainees who are willing to learn are offered training in more than one skill to ensure they are employable in the jobs market upon completing their study at the centers. The education and training centers combine course learning with practical training to improve the trainees' operational skills. Practical training is conducted in classes rather than through employment in factories or enterprises, or obligatory labor. As trainees have fallen under the influence and control of religious extremism to a greater or lesser extent, the centers integrate deradicalization into the whole process of education and training. Through step-by-stepteaching of laws and regulations, policies on ethnic and religious affairs, and religious knowledge, and by exposing the damage caused by terrorism and religious extremism, the centers give trainees a full and accurate understanding of the national policy of freedom of religious belief. In order to rehabilitate the trainees, these courses teach the trainees to distinguish between lawful and unlawful religious activities, understand how religious extremism runs counter to religious doctrine, and realize the evil nature and serious harm of terrorism and religious extremism so that they can eventually break free from the influence and control of terrorism and religious extremism. Education and training at the centers never interferes in the trainees' freedom of religious belief and the centers have never made any attempts to have the trainees change their religious beliefs. |
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