VI

Article 19 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China regulates: "It is the work of the State that develops different education establishments, offering education of politics, culture, science, technology and professional skill to workers, peasants, state employees and other working people." According to the regulations of the Constitution, the State Council, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and Ministry of Personnel promulgated documents concerning the management and finance and related aspects in adult education. Some major issues regulated in these documents include: to eradicate illiteracy in the age group of 15-45 by the end of the century; to carry out job-training among workers, teachers and state employees and set up a system of training and evaluation; to take steps in implementing a system in which qualification certificates of job-training must be obtained for those people engaging in jobs concerning the safety of people's life and property before employment; to offer educational training of "Green Certificate" among peasants (training of single subject agricultural productive skill and management for peasants). Since 1987, the State has established an independent account item of adult education in the budget revenue. 1.5% of the total workers' salary can be spent on the educational expenditure of enterprise workers. If overspending occurs, payment can be made out of enterprise foundations, net profits, surplus and after-tax interests. When developing urban regional construction or setting up new enterprises, planning of basic facilities in adult education must be made and be listed in investment programmes of capital on literacy, teacher training, compilations of texbooks and awards can be covered within educational funding by the various educational authorities. Full time teachers of adult schools should be respected by the whole society as the teachers of regular schools are, enjoying the same privilege as their counterparts in regular schools in terms of academic titles, promotions, housing distribution, awards and social welfare. Apart from the policies, regulations concerning adult education formulated and promulgated by the State, regional decrees and regulations were approved and promulgated by local standing committees of people's congress in some provinces.