All 20 primary and middle school students in Jinxian County in Jiangxi Province will have judicial schoolmasters defending their legal rights when their fall semester begins in September.

The post, the first of its kind in China, will be taken by 20 officers with the county procuratorate, whose major task will be to prevent judicial delinquency on campus and to defend the legal rights of young people, said Chief Prosecuting Attorney Yi Zhihua of the Jinxian Procuratorate.

Yi described the move as a valuable experiment in raising the legal awareness of students and strengthening their self-protection capabilities. But he did not disclose the term of service or officers' salary information.

To make sure they are qualified for the job, the procuratorate has arranged a training program which involves the study of regulations, juvenile education and juvenile psychology.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2003)