Schools in Haiyan County, Zhejiang province, have taken a national anti-corruption campaign into the classroom, teaching lessons in "honest government" after class elections were marred by bribery.

Student candidates at a junior high schools in Haiyan County , south of Shanghai, were caught offering voters free lunches and other gifts, the Beijing Times said.

Starting next month, the county's 50,000 junior high school students will receive lessons in "honest government," the newspaper said, citing a local school official, Wang Guoyi.

The scandal broke amid a marathon anti-corruption crackdown in which thousands of government and Communist Party officials have been punished for bribery, embezzlement and other abuses.

(China Daily via agencies November 20, 2004)