Schools to relax hukou rules

Beijing's education authorities released this year's primary and middle schools admission policy on Thursday and pledged that children who don't have a Beijing hukou (residence permit) will enjoy the same access to education as those who do, starting sometime in the next three to five years.

Deputy director of Beijing Municipal Education Commission Luo Jie said that beginning in three to five years, students without hukou can be admitted by schools near their homes and that outstanding students without hukou can be recommended for elite middle schools, as is the case for students with hukou.

"The word equality appears 19 times in the law on compulsory education," he said. "We will try every means possible to ensure non-native Beijing students enjoy equal education opportunities."