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New | Jilin to ban schools from giving pupils medicine without parental consent

Draft law comes after a number of kindergarten drug scandals in recent months

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Children at school in Xian, Shaanxi. Two kindergartens in the province were recently exposed to have given antiviral drugs to its pupils without their parents' knowledge. Photo: AFP

The authorities in the northeastern Jilin province are planning to ban kindergartens from giving pupils medicine without their parents’ permission.

The draft law was reviewed at a provincial congress meeting on Monday, the New Culture Newspaper reported on Thursday.

If passed, Jilin would follow in the steps of eastern Anhui province, which is the first province to impose such a law on schools.

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The proposed regulation makes it illegal for preschool educational institutions to administer medicine to their pupils without their parents or guardians’ express consent. It also prohibits schools from giving pupils medicine not approved by the local administration.

Those who flout the law, if passed, will be banned from continuing their work and kindergarten licences will be revoked under serious circumstances. Violators could also face criminal charges, the report said.

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Relevant county-level departments, such as the Educational Administrative Department and the Food and Drug Administration, will be responsible for meting out the punishment.

The proposed law comes on the back of a number of kindergarten drug scandals reported in recent months.

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