NANCHANG, Sept. 1(Xinhuanet)-- A special school targeting at providing nine-year compulsory education to 1100 juvenile offenders opens Thursday in east China's Jiangxi Province, the first time that juvenile delinquents are covered by local education systems.

Enlightenment School, or Qiming School in Chinese, located in Xinjian County, 500 mile southwest from China's economic hub Shanghai, is the sole rehabilitation center for juvenile offenders in Jiangxi,with accommodation capability of 1,500 juvenile felony offenders between 14 and 18, most of which failed to finish their nine years school education before they broke the law,said Wu Jianzhong, deputy warden in charge of the school's educational affairs.

Six classes for primary school level students, and 14 for high school classes were set up, with about 50 students in each class, said Wu, adding that the school is equipped with facilities including libraries,computer rooms and two plastic basketball playgrounds, which are even rare in most ordinary primary schools.

All funds needed for teaching and facilities upgrading are allocated yearly by provincial finance department,equal treatment to ordinary schools, noted Wu, adding that the textbooks are free to students.

The proposal to set up such a school was first put forward by the school's honorary president Liu Yunlai in the 1980s, who believes that the juvenile offenders can go back to normal track through standard basic education.

Due to Liu's 23 years' endeavour, the provincial government adopted his proposal in 2004, and set up the first school of its kind in China.

It is supposed to be a demonstrative model applicable across the country. Enditem