Chinese schools invite law professionals to be deputy principals

BEIJING -- For school education on the rule of law, primary and secondary schools in China have invited prosecutors to be deputy principals.

Close to 40,000 prosecutors have been working concurrently as deputy principals for education on the rule of law in more than 77,000 primary and secondary schools across China, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).

Involving prosecutors in school education on the rule of law originated from a proposal by national lawmaker Jiang Liying.

Jiang, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), submitted the proposal during the annual session of the NPC in 2021. In the proposal, Jiang suggested inviting prosecutors to be "counsellors on the rule of law."

Jiang said prosecutors could serve concurrently as deputy principals in schools for the education on the rule of law, noting the measure would help "optimize resources for education in this field."

The SPP accepted the proposal. The SPP and the Ministry of Education then jointly released a document, defining the roles and duties of prosecutors working as deputy principals.

According to the document, the prosecutor-deputy principals would offer help in education on the rule of law, safety management and legal affairs, among other things.

They are expected to give instructions through the interpretation of specific cases, provide help to the running of legal aid centers, and offer legal advice to schools, students and parents.

Over the past five years, the SPP has handled over 1,000 proposals made by NPC deputies and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which concern subjects including national security, social stability, economic and social progress, justice and safeguarding the well-being of people.