National commission of school textbooks established

A national commission, headed by Vice-Premier Liu Yandong, was established to manage affairs related to school textbooks, according to a State Council notice released on Thursday.

The commission will guide overall work on textbooks, study and approve the annual work plan for the books in addition to other major issues, the notice said. The commission is also obligated to guide, organize and coordinate different regions and departments to work on textbooks, and review the nation's curricula while setting standards for textbooks.

Chen Baosheng, minister of education, was named the commission's deputy head while other 23 ministerial-level departments are also members of the commission. Also under the commission is a committee of 27 experts, such as Professor Ma Min at East China Normal University in Shanghai.

On Wednesday, the vice-premier attended the commission's first plenary meeting in Beijing.