People's livelihood improved through rule of law

Editor's Note: With the nation gearing up for the annual top-level meetings known as the two sessions, China Daily presents a special series of stories reviewing the work of national lawmakers and political advisers, and some crucial topics expected to be discussed during this year's meetings of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

China has accelerated the pace of improving people's livelihood through rule of law, following the formulation and amendment last year of several laws related to education, healthcare, and science and technology.

In 2024, the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, and its Standing Committee promulgated six new laws, two of which involved education — the Preschool Education Law and the Law on Academic Degrees.

The preschool law, China's first law focusing on preschool-level education, prioritizes the safety and interests of children, said Shi Hong, an official with the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission.

Shi made the remarks ahead of this year's two sessions, the meetings of the nation's top legislative and political advisory bodies and China's most important annual political event.

Children's education and other livelihood-related issues are expected to be hot topics for top-level political advisers during the third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which opens on March 4 in Beijing, and for national lawmakers during the third session of the 14th NPC, which begins in the capital on March 5.

Regarding the Preschool Education Law, Shi emphasized that "whether children can grow in a healthy way is the starting point as well as the ultimate goal of the legislation".

According to the preschool law, individuals who pose potential risks to children's physical or mental safety, including those with criminal records related to abuse, sexual assault, harassment, trafficking, violent conduct, drug use or gambling, are prohibited from employment in early childhood education.

The law also stipulates that those with a history of alcoholism or severe violations of professional ethics that could endanger children cannot hold jobs related to early childhood education, highlighting that every child must be respected, cared for and given strong protection of their privacy and reputation.

Additionally, it imposes disciplinary measures on kindergarten staff members who engage in corporal punishment, discrimination, humiliation or other harmful treatment of children.

"Preschool education is a crucial part of our country's education system and also a major social public welfare cause," Shi added. "The law is a response to the public's expectations for better preschool education, and it will help promote children's growth, family happiness and social stability."

Regarding the Law on Academic Degrees, which took effect on Jan 1, Liang Ying, another official from the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said the law has far-reaching significance for building strength in education, science and technology, and talent.

The law clarifies that someone's degree or degrees will be revoked or rejected if he or she is found to have engaged in ghostwriting, plagiarism, counterfeiting or other offenses, such as enrolling under someone else's name or obtaining graduation certificates illegally.

"This reflects our country's explicit prohibition of academic misconduct and our strict requirement for the quality of academic degrees," Liang said.

The NPC Standing Committee also reviewed draft laws last year on the response to public health emergencies and on prevention of infectious diseases, in an effort to provide a healthy environment for residents.

In addition, under a legislative decision adopted by the NPC Standing Committee in September, China will gradually raise the statutory retirement age over the next 15 years, with the retirement age for men eventually increasing to 63 and for women to 55 or 58, depending on the job or occupation.

The adjustments will address the current population structure, the overall improvement of people's health, and the public's desire for flexibility in arranging their working and retirement lives, according to the committee.

Furthermore, to enrich people's livelihood and enhance their scientific literacy, September has been designated as National Science Popularization Month, in line with a revised Science and Technology Popularization Law.

The NPC Standing Committee noted that all these legislative items are aimed at safeguarding people's sense of fulfillment, security and happiness, and turning their expectations for better lives into reality through legal means.

The latest data released by the commission shows that the NPC and its Standing Committee also revised 16 laws in 2024.

In addition to promoting people's livelihood, the country's legal tool kit for key, emerging and foreign-related fields was also enriched last year, contributing to the nation's high-quality development and law-based governance, said Wang Xiang, another commission member.