中华人民共和国民办教育促进法 Law of the People's Republic of China on Promotion of Privately-run Schools

（Adopted at the 31st Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress on December 28，2002）

颁布日期：20021228 　实施日期：20030901 　颁布单位：全国人大常委会

Contents

Chapter I General Provisions

Chapter II Establishment

Chapter III Organization and Activities of Schools

Chapter IV Teachers and Educatees

Chapter V School Assets and Financial Management

Chapter VI Administration and Supervision

Chapter VII Support and Reward

Chapter VIII Alteration and Termination

Chapter IX Legal Responsibility

Chapter X Supplementary Provisions

Chapter I

General Provisions

Article 1 This law is enacted in accordance with the constitution and the Education Law with a view to implementing the strategy of invigorating the country through science， technology and education， promoting the sound development of privately-run schools， and safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of the privately-run schools and the educates.

Article 2 This law shall be applicable to activities conducted by public organizations or individuals， other than State organs， to establish and run schools and other institutions of educations of education with non-governmental financial funds， which are geared to the need of society. In cases to which no provisions of this Law are applicable， the provisions in the Education Law and other laws concerning education shall apply.

Article 3 Privately-run schools belong to public welfare undertakings and constitute a component part of the cause of socialist education

With regard to privately-run schools， he State applies the principles of enthusiastic encouragement， vigorous support， correct guidance， and administration according to law.

People's governments at all levels shall incorporate the undertakings of the privately-run schools into their plans of national economic and social development.

Article 4 Privately-run policy schools shall abide by laws and regulations， implement the education of the State， guarantee the educational quality and devote their efforts to the training of various types of people for the cause of socialist development.

Privately-run schools shall implement the principle of separating education from religion. No organizations or individuals may make use of religion to conduct activities designed to interfere with the educational system of the State.

Article 5 Privately-run schools and government-run schools shall share equal legal status， and the State safeguards the autonomy of the privately-run schools.

The State protects the lawful rights and interests of the sponsors， principals， teachers and staff members and educates of privately-run schools.

Article 6 The State encourages donations made for establishing and running schools.

The State rewards and commends organizations and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the development of the undertakings of privately-run schools.

Article 7 The administrative department for education under the State Council shall be in charge of the overall planning， comprehensive coordination and macro-administration of the work relating to privately-run schools nationwide.

The administrative department for labor and social security and the relevant departments under the State Council shall respectively be in charge of the work relating to the privately-run schools within the scope of their duties as defined by the State Council.

Article 8 The administrative departments for education under the local people's governments at or above the county level shall be responsible for the work relating to privately-run schools in their own administrative regions.

The administrative departments for labor and social security and the relevant departments under the local people's governments at or above the county level shall respectively be responsible for the work relating to privately-run schools within the scope of their duties.

Chapter II

Establishment

Article 9 Public organizations that establish privately-run schools shall possess the qualifications of a legal person.

Individuals that establish privately-run schools shall possess political rights and full capacity for civil conduct.

Article 10 The establishment of a privately-run school shall meet the local need for educational development and the requirements provided for by the education Law and relevant laws and regulations.

The standards for the establishment of privately-run schools shall， mutatis mutandis， conform to those for the establishment of government-run schools of the same grade and category.

Article 11 The establishment of privately-run schools that provide education for academic credentials， pre-school education， training for preparing self-study examinations and other cultural education shall be subject to examination and approval by the administrative departments for education under the people's governments at or above the county lever within the limits of their powers defined by the State； the establishment of a privately-run school that mainly provides training for vocational skills， including training for vocational qualification， shall be subject to examination and approval by the administrative department for labor and social security under the people's government at or above the county level within the limits of its powers defined by the State， which shall send a duplicate of the approval document to the administrative department for education at the same lever for the record.

Article 12 To apply for preparing to establish a privately-run school， the sponsor shall submit to the examination and approval authority the following materials：

（1）an application， the contents of which mainly include： the sponsor， the aims of education， size of the student body， level of the school， internal management system， raising of funds and their management and use， etc.；

（2）name of the sponsors and their addresses or the title of the sponsor and its address；

（3）source of the assets， amount of the funds and their effective certificates， in which the property rights are clearly stated；

（4）where the assets of the school are donated， an agreement on the donations， in which the names of the donators ，the amount of the assets donated， their use and management， and the relevant effective certificates are clearly stated.

Article 13 The examination and approval authority shall， within 30 days from the date it receives the application for preparing to establish a privately-run school ，make a decision in writing on whether to approve it or not.

If it approves the application， it shall issue a written approval for preparing to establish the school； and if it does not approve the application， it shall explain the reasons.

The period of preparation for establishment of such a school shall not exceed three years； and if it exceeds three years， the sponsors shall renew its application.

Article 14 To apply for official establishment of a privately-run school， the sponsor shall submit the following materials to the examination and approval authority：

（1） the written approval for preparing to establish the school；

（2） a report on the preparations made for the establishment；

（3） articles of association of the school and the name lists of the component members of the first executive council， board of directors or other decision-making bodies of the school；

（4） effective certificates of the assets of the school；

（5） qualification certificates of the principal， teachers and book-keepers and accountants.

Article 15 Where conditions for the establishment of a school are satisfied and the

standards for establishment are reached， an application may directly be made for its official establishment， and the materials specified in Article 12 and subparagraphs（3），（4）and （5）of Article 14 of this Law shall be submitted.

Article 16 Where an application for official establishment of a privately-run schools is made， the examination and approval authority shall， within three months from the date it receives the application， make a decision in writing on whether to approve it or not， and sere the decision on the applicant； and where， in this regard， an application is made for the official establishment of a privately-run institution of higher education， the examination and approval authority may， within six months from the date it receives the application， likewise make a decision in writing on whether to approve it or not and serve the decision on the applicant.

Article 17 The examination and approval authority shall issue a license for establishment of a school to the privately-run school for the official establishment of which it gives approval.

Where the examination and approval authority does not approve the official establishment of a school， it shall explain the reasons.

Article 18 Where a privately-run school obtains the license for establishment and ，in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws and administrative regulations， registers with the registration authority， the latter shall immediately handle the matter in accordance with relevant regulations.

Chapter III

Organizations and Activities of Schools

Article 19 A privately-run school shall set up an executive council， a board of directors or other forms of decision-making bodies of the school.

Article 20 The executive council or the board of directors of the school shall be composed of the sponsors or their representatives， the principal， and the representatives of the teachers and staff members. More than one-third of the council members or directors shall， at least， have five years' education or teaching experience each.

The executive council or the board of directors the school shall be composed of not less than five persons， with one of them serving as chairman of the council or board. The name list of the chairman and members of the council or the chairman of the board and directors shall be submitted to the examination and approval authority for the record.

Article 21 The executive council or the board of directors of a school shall exercise the following functions and powers.

（1） to appoint and dismiss the principal；

（2） to amend the articles of association of the school and formulate rules and regulations of

the school；

（3） to make development plans and approve annual work plans；

（4） to raise funds for running the school， and examine and verify the budgets and final

accounts；

（5） to decide on the size and the wage standards of the teachers and staff members；

（6） to decide on the division， merging and termination of the school；

（7） to decide on other important matters.

The functions and powers of other forms of decision-making bodies shall be defined in

reference to the provisions of this Article.

Article 22 The chairman of the executive council or the board of directors or the principal

of a privately-run school shall serve as the legal representative of the school.

Article 23 A privately-run school shall， in reference to the qualifications for the principal of a government-run school of the same grade and category， appoint its principal， and the age limit may appropriately be extended both ways， and the appointment shall be reported to the examination and approval authority for verification and approval.

Article 24 The principal of a privately-run school shall be in charge of education， teaching and administration of the school， and exercise the following functions and powers：

（1）to carry out the decisions made by the executive council， board of directors or any other form of decision-making body；

（2）to put into execution the development plans， draw up the annual work plans and financial budgets， and formulate the rules and regulations of the school；

（3）to appoint and dismiss staff members of the school， and give rewards and impose punishments；

（4）to make arrangements for education， teaching and scientific research， and ensure the quality of education and teaching；

（5）to be responsible for the daily work of school administration；

（6） other powers delegated by the executive council， the board of directors or any other form

of decision-making body of the school.

Article 25 A privately-run school may， on the basis of their classifications， the length of schooling and their academic performance and in accordance with the relevant regulations of the State， issue academic credentials， certificates for completing a course or qualification certificates of training to the students it enrolled.

Students who receive training in vocational skills may be awarded vocational qualification certificates of the State when they are considered qualified by the vocational skills appraisal authority approved by the State.

Article 26 A privately-run school shall， in accordance with law， ensure that the teachers and staff members participate in democratic management and supervision through the representative assembly of the teachers and staff members with the teachers as the main body， or through other forms.

Teachers and staff members of a privately-run school shall， in accordance with the Trade Union Law， have the right to form trade union organizations to protect their lawful rights and interests.

Chapter IV

Teachers and Educatees

Article 27 Teachers and educates of privately-run schools shall enjoy equal legal status as the teachers and eductatees of government-run schools shall.

Article 28 Teachers appointed by privately-run schools shall possess the qualifications for teaching specified by the State.

Article 29 Privately-run schools shall conduct ideological and moral education and professional training among teachers.

Article 30 Privately-run schools shall guarantee the wages and welfare benefits for teachers and staff members according to law， and pay social insurance premiums for them.

Article 31 The teachers and staff members of privately-run schools shall， in accordance with law， share equal rights with those of government-run schools in respect of professional training， appointment of posts， calculation of the length of service as a teacher or staff member， commendation and reward， and social activities.

Article 32 Privately-run schools shall， in accordance with law， safeguard the lawful rights and interests of educates.

Privately-run schools shall， in accordance with the regulations of the State， Establish the system for administration of students' records and give rewards and sanctions to educates.

Article 33 Educatees of Privately-run schools shall enjoy equal rights as those of government-run schools of the same grade and category in respect of admission into schools of a higher grade， employment， preferential treatment and being elected as advanced students.

Chapter V

School Assets and Financial Management

Article 34 Privately-run schools shall， in accordance with law， establish financial and accounting systems and assets management system， and keep account books in accordance with the relevant regulations of the State.

Article 35 Privately-run schools shall enjoy property rights of the legal persons in respect of the assets provided by sponsors to privately-run schools， State-owned assets， donated property and school accumulation.

Article 36 During the period of existence of privately-run schools， all the assets shall， in accordance with law， be managed and used by the schools， and no organization or individual may take illegal possession of them.

No organization or individuals may ，in violation of laws or regulations， collect any fees from privately-run institutions of education.

Article 37 The items and rates of fees to be collected by privately-run schools from educates who receive education from academic credentials shall be worked out by the schools， submitted to relevant departments for approval and made public； and the items and rates of fees to be collected from other educates shall be worked out by the schools concerned， submitted to relevant departments for the record and made public.

The fees collected by privately-run schools shall be used mainly for educational and teaching activities and the improvement of schools conditions.

Article 38 The use and the financial management of the assets for privately-run schools shall be subject to supervision by the examination and approval authority and relevant departments.

Privately-run schools shall prepare their financial and accounting statements towards the end of each fiscal year， entrust public accounting firms to audit the statements according to law ，and publish the audit results.