A senior Chinese leader has urged for an intensified crackdown on unwarranted fees imposed by schools to create a clean educational environment.

State Councilor Chen Zhili said in Beijing on Wednesday that China's crackdown on unwarranted educational fees had proved very effective in past years, but had not yet rooted out the bad practice completely in some parts of the country.

The nation should pay special attention to primary and middle schools in rural areas, she said, noting some schools still charged huge fees from students even though the country had already exempted rural students from compulsory education fees from last year.

Chen said the country would severely punish educational institutions that neglected relevant regulations and charged unwarranted fees on students. She urged to promote professional ethics among the country's educators.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2008)