Four students at the city's school for the blind have been admitted to the national university entrance examination after they wrote to the Shanghai municipal government, expressing their long-held aspirations to study at university.

Shen Benliang, an official in charge of student recruitment, said that Shanghai Normal University had been appointed the city’s first university qualifying to receive blind students.

Shanghai education and examination authorities are designing an exam paper for the blind based on the country's higher education outline.

Examinations for the blind will be delayed until the middle of July instead of the usual July 7-9 period to all translation of the papers from Chinese to Braille.

The exam format for the blind will be similar to the normal one and English listening comprehension skills will be highlighted.

Sources in education circles believe that allowing blind students to sit for entrance exams will play an important role in enhancing education levels and broadening employment prospects for blind students.

Previously, China's blind students could only sit for national entrance exams for special or technical secondary schools.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2002)