Upcoming college freshmen will be able to take at least one gap year to start their own business, with a newly amended Ministry of Education regulation, scheduled to take effect on September 1, designed to support student entrepreneurs.
According to the amendment, the first made to the regulations on college student management since its introduction 12 years ago, registered college students will also be able to take days off school to start their own business, taking longer to finish their course as a result. The amendment also promises to ease the procedures for them to apply for a temporary leave of absence from school.
It will also be possible for student entrepreneurs to change their major to a subject more relevant to their business. Currently in most Chinese colleges, students choose a major before they officially enroll. Colleges are also encouraged to provide more training on entrepreneurship to students.
More importantly, all entrepreneurial activities that are likely to meet course requirements in one way or another, whether through the business itself, the publication of relevant papers or the award of a patent, can be considered for conversion into course credits.
The worry of failing school will no longer discourage students from their entrepreneurial endeavors, experts say, and the new regulations will thus effectively ease the growing pressure on college students facing an ever more competitive job market.
A growing number of college graduates are entering the job market every year, with last year seeing a record high of 7.65 million, China Daily reported.
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