NPC Brief
Launch of first lunar satellite put off
The mainland has postponed the launch of its first lunar satellite, Chang'e 1, from April to September to capitalise on better orbit conditions, Zhang Yunchuan , head of the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defence, said. Mr Zhang told the Beijing Times the decision was based on careful study of the alignment of the Earth, moon and Sun. Chang'e 1 will survey the moon's terrain and its geophysical composition as it spends a year circling it.
Plea for middle-school education assistance
Senior middle-school students should be covered by the government's education assistance scheme to give them easier access to education loans, Shandong NPC deputy Sun Hejuan told Xinhua. Professor Sun, from Northeast Normal University, said senior middle-schooling expenses were not covered by the government's nine-year compulsory education system.
Japanese invasion a day for humiliation: delegate
The mainland should dedicate September 18, the anniversary of the 1931 Japanese invasion of the mainland, as a Day of National Humiliation, an NPC delegate suggested. 'An outstanding nation should keep its history firmly in mind,' Jiang Jian from Shandong told the Procuratorial Daily, adding that most countries 'ravaged by fascists' had similar remembrance days.
Cheaper fees for unpopular subjects
Former education vice-minister Zhang Baoqing said the government was considering cutting education fees for unpopular university subjects, the People's Daily reported. The subjects with decreasing demand included agriculture, forestry and geology. 'Salaries for students graduating from these subjects are not good, but the country still needs people for these professions,' he said. Apart from reduced school fees, more scholarships and subsidies will be offered to encourage higher enrolments.
