Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the first plenary meeting of the 12th session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, November 4, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, started its 12th session in Beijing on Monday, with lawmakers reviewing a series of legislative drafts including a draft preschool education law and a draft revision to the Law on Protection of Cultural Relics, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Monday.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the session's first plenary meeting, said Xinhua. The session is scheduled to last until Friday. 

Among the draft laws under review, the draft preschool education law is aimed at enhancing preschool children's rights and ensuring their safety, Huang Haihua, spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said at a press conference on November 1.

Huang noted that the revised provisions of the draft law require special care for preschoolers with unique needs, such as those with specific health conditions.

To further safeguard children's rights, the draft mandates that kindergartens and other educational institutions handle children's personal information responsibly, ensuring their privacy and reputation are protected, according to Huang. Huang said that the draft outlines regulations to ensure food safety in kindergartens and enhance security in surrounding areas.

The review of the draft preschool education law holds significant importance. It can help alleviate the burdens faced by young families in terms of childbirth and child-rearing, promoting diversified preschool education services, and encourage the participation of various social entities to enhance the parenting environment, Zhang Shuhua, director of the Institute of Political Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, told the Global Times that the draft is significant as it can strengthen support for preschool education and regulate the operation of kindergartens. 

Lawmakers also deliberated a draft amendment to the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels, and other draft law revisions.

The draft amendment to the law on the deputies was submitted for its first review during the 12th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC on Monday, marking the fourth amendment to the law since its enactment in 1992, according to Xinhua.

It includes enhancing regulations for capacity building of people's congress deputies, improving the mechanism for handling deputies' proposals and suggestions, and regulations for the supervision and management of the deputies' performance, according to Huang.