Children who follow their parents to another city should not be prevented from taking the national college entrance exam, according to Education Minister Yuan Guiren.

"We are encouraging local education authorities to make plans according to local conditions. For the cities that have difficulties in making proper plans, we will try help them," Yuan said on the sidelines of the Fifth Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Plans should be released within 10 months, Yuan said

"However, prerequisites shall be considered when local authorities make the plans, such as how many students the city can have," he added.

Shandong province released its plan in February, allowing students without a household registration in Shandong to take the exam starting in 2014.

A letter from parents to the members of the 11th National People's Congress and the CPPCC was published on March 1, calling attention to the problem of children who move with their parents. China now has a migrant population of about 260 million, including 27 million children who move with their parents and 58 million children who stay behind with relatives, according to the letter.