A Teenager jailed for stabbing a man to death two months before graduating from junior school has obtained his junior school graduation certificate in prison thanks to a new compulsory education policy.

Zhou Zhihua, 17, who assaulted his neighbor after a dispute, is now on the road to rehabilitation - and education. He is learning college courses by himself.

The nine-year compulsory education system has been extended to juvenile criminals who haven't finished their education. About 280 juvenile criminals resumed classes, accounting for nearly 60 percent of those in the Shanghai Juvenile Reformatory.

About 5 percent of the criminals were illiterate.

The criminals receive the education, together with textbooks and bags, for free.

"I'm so happy to be able to continue my study that I couldn't express my delight in words when I learned the news," said Zhou, who was known as a well-behaved student at his former school.

On April 27, 2006, when Zhou was in an Internet bar, a neighbor who was four years older than Zhou hit him with a fire extinguisher.

Zhou, enraged, stabbed the man to death with a knife. He was sentenced to 10 years' jail.

"I was disappointed at the lessons taught by the police officers when I had just started serving the sentence in the reformatory because only Chinese and maths textbooks for adults were available," Zhou said.

The new policy is designed to help juvenile criminals like Zhou realize their dreams.

Criminals older than 18 who haven't finished the nine-year education can also apply for the free education.

Most criminals treasure the chance to study.

To the surprise of teachers, the classes of criminals are more disciplined than classes in common schools and the average marks of a class of criminals was often higher than those of a common class.

Wang Wenjing, a middle school teacher in physics, said: "I have never viewed them as criminals. I take them as my students, naughty students.

"I told them if they have knowledge, they won't be discriminated against when they leave prison."

In the new semester, juvenile criminals will be offered music and drawing lessons in addition to the six courses.

(Shanghai Daily September 8, 2008)