School hires police, judges as vice principals

To prevent school bullying and student misconduct, Chinese schools hire part-time vice principals from law enforcement.

Primary and junior high schools in China will have at least one part-time vice principal from law enforcement, according to new guidelines from China’s Ministry of Education.

These assistant principals will play an important role in promptly identifying, preventing and addressing school bullying, raising awareness of the law, and developing related learning processes.

“Vice-principals should assist in protecting student rights, preventing delinquent behavior by minors, providing safe management, student discipline (for misconduct), and governance guidance based on above the law for schools,” the guide said.

The guidelines, issued last week, say part-time vice principals will be introduced and appointed by security agencies, procuracies and courts, and hired by schools. The incumbent must have at least three years of legal experience and undergo special training before commencing work. The new regulations take effect on May 1.

School bullying is a persistent problem in Chinese schools, leading to injuries and even deaths among students. A 2016 survey found that 26% of children in urban schools have experienced bullying.

The Education Department and other government agencies have announced plans to recruit law enforcement officers as vice principals since 2003, but experts say the policy has been laxly implemented before.

“Some schools did not recruit such positions in time, and some vice principals did not actively and fully carry out their duties,” said Xiong Bingqi, deputy director of the Institute of 21st Century Education Research. speak. “This guidance is intended to further strengthen the appointment and management of vice-principals.”

The appointment will give preference to schools in remote, rural and remote areas, as well as “weaker” educational institutions in the city.

Government data shows that China has 235,000 primary and junior high schools by 2021. According to Jiang Jihai, an official with the Supreme People’s Court, over 13,800 judges served as vice principals at more than 15,000 schools. .

Li Feng, an official with the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, said nearly 40,000 prosecutors held the position at 77,000 schools at the end of September last year. Meanwhile, Liao Qi, an official from the Ministry of Public Security, said that more than 300,000 police officers acting as vice principals have conducted activities to teach students how to prevent bullying, violence, human trafficking, sexual assault and accidents. traffic accidents in 2021.